Chicago Bulls appear to be in familiar spot with no major additions during quiet offseason

Audio By Carbonatix

Last season: 39-42, lost to Miami in the first round of the play-in tournament.

COACH: Billy Donovan (sixth season with Bulls, 11th season overall, 438-362).

SEASON OPENER: Oct. 22 vs. Detroit.

DEPARTURES: G Lonzo Ball.

ADDITIONS: G/F Isaac Okoro, F Noa Essengue.

BetMGM championship odds: 500-1.

The Bulls went 39-42 for the second straight season and got knocked out of the play-in tournament by Miami for the third year in a row. But instead of shaking up the roster, they largely stood pat. Chicago is in a familiar spot, banking on improvement from within after a quiet offseason. The most notable moves were re-signing G Josh Giddey to a four-year contract extension, trading Ball to Cleveland for Okoro and drafting Essengue out of the French Basketball League with the No. 12 pick. The Bulls hope G Coby White and Giddey take their games to an All-Star level and F Matas Buzelis builds on a promising rookie season. But the fact remains: They don't have an established cornerstone player and haven't even had an All-Star since DeMar DeRozan in 2023.

The good: White followed up a breakout season in 2023-24 by averaging a career-high 20.4 points last year. Giddey, acquired from Oklahoma City for Alex Caruso, averaged 14.6 points in his first season in Chicago. He set personal bests at 8.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game, and delivered seven triple-doubles. The question is whether he can develop into a more reliable defender.

The not-so-good: The lack of a cornerstone player remains a big issue for this franchise. It's particularly glaring in a more open Eastern Conference, with Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton recovering from torn Achilles tendons. The Bulls do have a strong trade chip in Nikola Vucevic, with the two-time All-Star's contract expiring at the end of the season. White, Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins and Jevon Carter also are set to come off the books.

A Chicago-area product, Buzelis started to show star potential over the course of his rookie season after earning his way into the rotation. He averaged 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds while starting 31 of the 80 games he played in after being drafted with the No. 11 pick.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA