Chicago Bulls NBA Cup Schedule Reveal: Can They Make Some Noise?

Ahead of the Chicago Bulls' full schedule being released on Thursday, the organization has unveiled four games on the 2026-27 slate.

The NBA Cup will officially tip off for Chicago on Oct. 30. For what it's worth, we've known for a couple of months which teams the Bulls would face in the league's annual In-Season Tournament. They unveiled the five-team groups back in June, handing Chicago a pretty difficult draw.

Things will start off against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on October 30. This will be only ten days after the NBA holds Opening Night and thus only a little over a week after the Bulls are expected to begin their regular season.

Chicago's next two NBA Cup games will come at the United Center in mid-November. They will face both the Hawks and Wizards, two teams they have fared pretty well against in recent years. Having said that, both are expected to take a sizeable step in the right direction this year.

The Hawks were one of the most competitive second-half teams in the East last season despite moving off Trae Young. Speaking of which, the Wizards are now entering playoff mode with Trae Young and Anthony Davis in town. They also walked away from the draft with No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa to add to a young supporting cast that also features Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson, and Kyshawn George.

The NBA Cup festivities will conclude with a trip to face the Charlotte Hornets. Trading LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, this is set up to be a fascinating year for one of the feel-good teams of 2025-26. It's now Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel's team, with former-Bull Coby White also expected to play a big role.

Times for the four games have not yet been announced, nor has the broadcast information.

Bulls NBA Cup Schedule

@ Boston (Oct. 30)
vs. Atlanta (Nov. 13)
vs. Washington (Nov. 20)
@ Hornets (Nov. 25)

The NBA Cup quarterfinals will begin on December 4, which will include three group winners in each conference and one wild card team (aka the non-first-place team that finishes with the best record in the East and West). There will then be a single-elimination tournament that ends with a December 11 championship at Butler University's iconic Hinkle Fieldhouse.

In the past, the NBA has hosted the semifinals and finals in Las Vegas.

Bulls NBA Cup History

NBA Cup troph — Jun 18, 2026; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Trey Jemison III holds the NBA Cup Trophy up during the New York Knicks Championship Parade through the Canyon of Heroes. Mandatory Credit: Brenden Willsch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

So, what are the chances of the Chicago Bulls making it out of Group Play? Let's just say ... not too high.

Since the NBA Cup – originally the In-Season Tournament – began, the Bulls have failed to advance to the knockout round. They haven't even been all that competitive, with their best finish coming in 2024 with a 2-2 record in group play. This would land them fourth in Group C behind the Hawks, Celtics, and Cavaliers. Overall, Chicago holds just a 3-9 record since the NBA Cup began in 2023.

Look, you never know how the cards may fall. This group certainly isn't the hardest they've experienced, and it's possible that teams like the Hawks and Wizards don't get off to as strong a start as expected. Even the Celtics have some major questions surrounding them after moving on from Jaylen Brown.

The Bulls are also built to be the kind of team that takes these NBA Cup games extra seriously. They are a young and motivated group with something to prove. At the same time, we've seen the intensity ramp up in these games, and Chicago's lack of experience could prove too much to overcome against these other squads.

Regardless, the good news is that we will not have to wait long to find out what this group is capable of. Circle October 30 on the calendar!

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