3 Bulls Who May Have Already Lost Their Jobs This Offseason

A new day has dawned for the Chicago Bulls.

A full-scale rebuild is seemingly in the works thanks to a revamped front office leader and coaching staff. The changes started with a surprising trade for big man Nic Claxton, followed by executive Bryson Graham bringing in two key building blocks in Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain.

Only time will tell what the next handful of days has in store, but there are bound to be several more roster changes for this group. And that means several familiar faces will end up on the outside looking in.

Before free agency officially begins on Tuesday evening, let's talk about three players who could be on the brink of losing their jobs in Chicago. Two might be pretty obvious after draft night, while the other will be an important name to keep an eye on during this free agency period.

Patrick Williams

Whle it's felt like the writing has been on the wall with Patrick Williams for a while, don't forget that he still appeared in 72 games last season. Heck, he's also currently the third-highest paid player on the organization's roster, making $18.0 million in each of the next three seasons.

Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Everlsey were never going to give up on their former No. 4 overall pick. Even if he was finally relegated to a bench role in 2025-26, it always felt like he would be part of the equation under the previous regime. But how about now?

Williams' contract may suggest that he should be on the court. Rarely do you play $18.0 million a year to someone picking up DNPs. But if anyone were to go down that road, it would be a completely new front office and head coach. Williams isn't their guy, and his play hasn't been good enough to warrant a long leash from these new lead decision-makers.

Williams averaged a mere 7.0 points with 3.0 rebounds last season. Even more concerning, he shot just 37.5 percent from the field, which marked a new career low. Does his physical profile fit what Bryson Graham seems to like? Sure. But the execution sure doesn't, especially when we consider his lack of physicality.

The Bulls are also now in a position where they are overflowing with talented young wins. Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, Dailyn Swain, Leonard Miller, and even Noa Essengue are all going to warrant playing time over Williams at the three or four. Even Jalen Smith showed last season that he can be more effective in the power forward spot.

So, does this mean we should expect Williams to be on the move this offseason? It's hard to say. The Bulls likely don't want to fork over any assets to get his salary off the books right now. Maybe they could find a way to use the money to help a bigger team pull off a deal, but it's very difficult to see anyone willing to eat that contract at the moment. Instead, it feels far more likely that Williams simply becomes the (very expensive) odd man out of the rotation.

Isaac Okoro

Isaac Okoro was probably better than some Bulls fans gave him credit for last season. Especially during the second half of the year, the 25-year-old wing became one of the team's more consistently productive players.

To be sure, Okoro wasn't a go-to source of offense, but he was making hustle plays and finding some success as a slasher. The three-point stroke, while coming and going, looked respectable. Does that mean he's done enough to win over this new regime, though?

Okoro would at least fit into the defensive identity this organization seems to be building. You also have to imagine that his professionalism and experience could stand out among a very young group. Still, it's hard to imagine Tiago Splitter plays him over the many developmental wings now on this roster.

It also feels like Okoro could be a decent trade chip. Contending teams are always looking for experienced 3-and-D wings on cost-effective deals. Not only is Okoro now an expiring contract, but he's also owed just $11.8 million this season. Would a team give up a haul for his services? No. But perhaps a couple of second-round picks? Maybe more if he is a smaller contract included in some kind of salary-dump scenario?

Unlike Williams, this isn't really a matter of Okoro's play. He has been solid enough on both ends to be in a rotation somewhere. The Bulls are just starting to make less and less sense for him, and they might prefer to have that roster spot open for another developing piece or someone who fits better with this new group.

Jalen Smith

Jalen Smith is last on this list for a reason.

As of right now, there is no question that the Chicago Bulls will need him next season. Nic Claxton is currently the only true big man on the roster, leaving Smith as the clear backup option.

Bulls fans are also well aware of what Smith did last season, having arguably the best year of his career. Smith averaged 10.2 points and 6.7 rebounds in just 20.7 minutes a night. His floor-spacing also looked as good as ever, knocking down 37.3 percent of his triples. For a current roster that lacks any shooting depth, Smith's jumper could prove quite valuable.

At the same time, what made Smith really stand out in 2025-26 was his versatility. The Bulls used him both at the four and five, giving him even more of an opportunity to play along the perimeter. Will this new-look Bulls roster allow for that? If not, could Smith's production begin to drop?

Smith's defense has also been iffy at best. There is no question he plays hard, but he carries a somewhat light frame and is technically undersized at six-foot-eight. With that in mind, it sure feels like the Bulls could seek out a more traditional backup big in free agency, which could automatically put Smith's future role further into question.

It makes you wonder if Smith's name could suddenly pop up in trade rumors over the next couple of weeks. Owed a mere $9.0 million, his versatility makes him a pretty intriguing option for most frontcourt-needy teams. To be sure, I'm not going to be surprised if he sticks around and the Bulls choose to make him their primary backup. But there are reasons to be skeptical right now, especially with him on an expiring deal.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on X and Facebook for the latest news

Add us as a preferred source on Google