Bulls Still At Bottom of the Barrel in ESPN's Future Power Rankings

If the Chicago Bulls have made one thing clear this summer, it's that their sights are set on the future.

The front office was gutted following the conclusion of the 2025-26 campaign, leading to the hiring of Bryson Graham as their new executive vice president of basketball operations. He has gone on to hire head coach Tiago Splitter and completely change the franchise's course of action. The Bulls are no longer afraid to talk rebuild and finally appear ready to prioritize player development.

Add in the fact that they just paired No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson with former lottery pick Matas Buzelis, and it's hard not to feel a lot better about where this group is headed. If those two can continue to trend upward while Graham adds the right talent around them, the Bulls might become a playoff staple in a few years.

There is still a lot of work to be done, though, which is likely why some aren't buying into the resurgence just yet. ESPN recently released its NBA Future Power Rankings for all 30 teams. The point of the exercise is to consider the next three full seasons of play and list the teams accordingly.

How did the Bulls do? Ehhhhh.

ESPN Still Puts Bulls Near Bottom of the League

Jun 17, 2026; Chicago, Il, USA; Chicago Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham (R) introduces Chicago Bulls new head coach Tiago Splitter (L) during a press conference at Advocate Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ESPN's previous Future Power Rankings put the Chicago Bulls at No. 28. One front office gutting later, and their judges have bumped the Bulls to ... No. 27. As of now, this means that only the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers, and Sacramento Kings are believed to have a worse three-year outlook.

In other words, the New Orleans Pelicans, Brooklyn Nets, and Washington Wizards were all placed above Chicago. If Bryson Graham needed some extra motivation, I think he found it!

Look, ESPN is putting a heavy emphasis on the projected win-loss column. The Bulls are in a pretty straightforward rebuild, which simply doesn't lend itself to notable on-court results. At the same time, they do go through a ranking system that highlights Players, Management, Draft, Money, and Market. The Bulls rank Top 10 in the latter three categories, while they were placed 27th for their players and 25th for their new management. Of course, who is on the current roster holds the most weight in these rankings.

With so much still up in the air, it's probably silly to argue that the Bulls should be significantly higher. Both the young players and new management still have a lot to prove. Having said that, doesn't it feel like this roster deserves slightly more respect?

Wilson is one of the most highly touted prospects in the game. Buzelis has shown legitimately encouraging growth year over year. Josh Giddey is still only 23 years old and coming off his best season yet. Tre Jones is a respected backup. Norman Powell is a reigning All-Star. Heck, Nic Claxton is a serviceable starting big!

The Bulls might not be destined to win many games, but should we really like the immediate future of the Nets or the Pelicans more? That feels like a bold proclamation!

There is also a case to make that ESPN should put more weight on roster flexibility. If the whole point is to project the future, you have to take into account what each team can do to drastically change their squad. The Bulls have ALL their future first-round draft picks and can open up gobs of money next summer if they wanted to make a big splash.

Especially when we consider the change in lottery odds, there is a world where this rebuild isn't as long as some think. There isn't an obvious incentive anymore to outright tank and secure a bottom-three spot in the NBA. This might not lead to major win-now moves by Graham, but it very well could lead to marginal moves that slowly raise their floor. And, again, they have the means to make plenty of those marginal moves while still developing their intriguing youngsters.

There is no guarantee the Bulls will be a powerhouse before 2029. Rebuilds take time, which is why ESPN likely has them listed where they are. However, do not be shocked if Chicago finally sees a big jump the next time these rankings come out. This organization is undoubtedly in a much better place after this offseason, and there is a good chance that becomes increasingly obvious over the next few months.

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