Bulls Preseason Schedule Drop: Young Squad to Face a Star-Studded Slate

We officially know the next time the Chicago Bulls will take the court.

Teams started to unveil their preseason schedule over the last week, and the Bulls finally joined in on the fun. The organization will play its first exhibition game on October 7 against the Phoenix Suns in Chicago. It will mark their first of five contests total – three of which will take place at the United Center.

Things will wrap up on October 16, which will likely be about a week out from the start of the 2026-27 NBA season. The league has yet to announce the opening night matchups. Chicago will likely play their first game either on the second or third night of the regular season.

Chicago Bulls Preseason Schedule

Oct. 7 vs. PHX – 7 PM CT
Oct. 9 vs. MEM – 7 PM CT
Oct. 11 @ DEN – 8 PM CT
Oct. 14 @ MIL – 7 PM CT
Oct. 16 vs. MIN – 7 PM CT

All things considered, the Bulls were dealt a fun deck of preseason cards. They will first invite Devin Booker's revamped squad into their building. Phoenix did plenty of work to round out their roster this summer, trading for Miles Bridges and re-signing multiple key contributors from last year's better-than-expected team.

Bulls fans will then quickly be treated to Caleb Wilson vs. Cameron Boozer Part II. The two faced off for the first time in Summer League, where Wilson dropped 35 points in a tight loss to the No. 3 overall pick. Preseason or not, one has to imagine both rookies will enter this one with a little extra motivation.

Up next will be Wilson's first taste of Nikola Jokic. During his introductory press conference with the Bulls, Wilson said he watched his fair share of The Joker growing up. As someone who once didn't have such explosive athletic gifts, Wilson paid extra attention to Jokic's elite passing chops.

Game 4 will be against the new-look Milwaukee Bucks on the road. Taking the floor with something to prove, Tyler Herro and Company should be a good matchup for this young and fun Bulls squad. Fans may want to pay extra attention to this meeting, as there will likely be four more on the calendar over the course of the regular season. This will also be Wilson's first opportunity to face fellow All-Summer League selection Brayden Burries.

Lastly, Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball will step into the United Center for what could be a packed house. This should be a fascinating matchup for a Bulls team that is now built around multiple long and athletic wings. Could this help them against the backcourt duo defensively, or will the Bulls' own lack of ball-handling really stand out in this one?

Of course, it's possible that the Bulls dodge one of the stars named above in a game or two. Teams are going to be careful about playing time in the lead-up to the regular season. This will likely include Tiago Splitter, who very well could pick one game to sit the likes of Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis. With that said, it's still a fun slate that features several teams with very different strengths. For a Bulls team trying to establish a new identity and style of play, that could work in their favor.

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