Tied with the Milwaukee Bucks once again, the Chicago Bulls are back to holding the tenth-best odds heading into the 2026 NBA Draft.
The cost of enjoying one win gets paid the next morning, when you do your daily Tankathon spin and see the Bulls sitting on the wrong side of where the upper-echelon talent will be drafted. It’s the kind of morning that makes you wonder just how worth it that win last night really was.
Let’s talk Bulls basketball.
© Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Last night, Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets came to town and picked up a loss so crucial it dropped them from a home-court advantage playoff spot to sitting right on the bubble between the playoffs and the play-in, with about ten or so games left. The Rockets ended the night with what looked like an impressive stat line, KD poured in 40 points, and Alperen Sengun recorded a triple-double. But a poor start, one that saw them fall behind by 22 to a team fighting for better lottery odds, is something that could only be described as embarrassing. I’m not a Rockets hater for saying that—their own head coach, Ime Udoka, who got ejected in the dying moments of the game, felt the same way about this loss.“Poor start, disrespected the game, not prepared from the get-go,” said Udoka. “Just non-aggressive, following them around, watching them shoot. You know [the Bulls] have nothing to lose—they’re going to fire away… it’s disappointing… we weren’t prepared to play at all.”
Ime Udoka RIPS his team:"Poor start, disrespected the game, not prepared from the get go. Just non aggressive following them around, watching them shoot…weren't prepared to play at all" pic.twitter.com/M1V1k2oLoZ
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) March 24, 2026 While the result wasn’t ideal when it comes to lottery standings, it was still impressive to watch the consistently strong play of Matas Buzelis and Leonard Miller. In fact, through his first 15 games in Chicago, Miller has already put up 292 points, nearly double what he scored during his time in Minnesota, where he spent two and a half years and appeared in 49 games. Increased opportunity has allowed him to finally tap into his skill set, and he’s making the most of it before the league had a chance to give up on him.Leonard Miller came off the bench with 23 minutes, tying his career-high 17 points (7/11 FG, 2/3 3P) and collected 9 rebounds—a solid backup amid the Bulls’ injuries. Apparently, he is fueled with a bigger readiness. t.co/NybR0Of6Nc
— Kevin Lu (@kevlu0288) March 24, 2026 As you get this close to the end of the season, you start to reminisce on a year that will soon be forgotten and ask yourself: what was the best thing the Bulls actually did this season? It’s a loaded question. You could point to Matas Buzelis having a breakout year, Josh Giddey establishing himself as the point guard of the future, Leonard Miller emerging as a diamond in the rough, or even the fact that the Bulls finally committed to a fire sale and moved on from players who kept them just competitive enough to miss out on a proper tank. But all of that comes from a very “Bulls fan” lens, not a mainstream one. From a broader perspective, the Bulls’ season has been so underwhelming that Zach Lowe floated the idea that the most notable moment for Chicago might’ve been when Matas talked trash to Luka, only to apologize postgame after Luka lit the Bulls up.“Is that the best Chicago Bulls moment this season?” Lowe asked Bill Simmons. “‘The Buzelis Apology.’ Is that the most notable thing that happened to the Chicago Bulls this season?”
That sparked a larger conversation about just how forgettable Chicago’s season has been. It even led to Simmons bringing up how President Barack Obama promoted his Presidential Center in Chicago using a player from the Minnesota Timberwolves, because there wasn’t a Bulls player who could deliver that same level of impact. While I agree the Bulls don’t have anyone on the level of Anthony Edwards to represent the city right now, the Cubs and the Bears definitely have a guy or two who can match that kind of appeal.Zach Lowe and Bill Simmons going in on the BullsI love national guys bringing attention to how bad it is here pic.twitter.com/jTZHj4RzSb
— Justin Talks Hoops (@J_Talks_Hoops) March 23, 2026 This could change for Chicago once the offseason hits and they have money to throw at eye-catching free agents. However, it’s not quite as much as expected, with the NBA recently lowering the projected salary cap for next season. According to Shams Charania, the league has informed teams that it’s projecting a $165 million salary cap for the 2026–27 season, about $1 million lower than expected due to a drop in local media revenue. That shift trickles down, affecting everything from the minimum salary floor to the second apron. Is it worrisome that, in the first year of a new CBA, the NBA is already losing money? From a local fan’s perspective, it’s not exactly surprising. It’s nearly impossible to watch your own team consistently because of blackout restrictions and overpriced cable packages, something fans have been frustrated with for years. But now that it’s actually costing the league, does it finally lead to change?The NBA has informed teams that the league is projecting a $165 million salary cap for 2026-27 — $1M lower than previous outlooks due to a reduction in local media revenue, sources tell ESPN. Minimum salary $149M, tax level $201M, first apron $209M, second apron $222M also $1M…
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 23, 2026MORE BULLS FROM BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter
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