The Chicago Bulls are quietly assembling one of the most intriguing young cores in the NBA, a roster built on upside, patience, and long-term vision. In collaboration with @SMHighlights1, we break down why this rebuild feels far more calculated than people realize.

A Backcourt Built for the Future

@SMHighlights1:
The Bulls are building something sneaky good on their roster right now. Not a single guard on their roster is over the age of 28. With Collin Sexton being the oldest guard on the team at 27, and Mac McClung also 27, the backcourt is clearly very young. The first player to take a huge leap again is Josh Giddey.

He is averaging close to 19 points and just under 9 rebounds and 9 assists per game. His efficiency is pretty solid for someone who has the ball in his hands so much. Giddey’s main issues in OKC were ball handling and three-point shooting, but he has definitely improved in those areas this season. It’s also important to remember that he’s only 23 years old.

@BallersCulture:
And that leap isn’t just visible, it’s statistical. Giddey is posting 18.6 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 8.8 APG while shooting 46.2% from the field and 36.6% from three. For a high-usage initiator, that efficiency jump is massive. Chicago isn’t just developing a guard — they’re developing a complete offensive hub who controls tempo and elevates everyone around him.

Buying Low on High Upside

@SMHighlights1:
The Bulls were very active at the trade deadline, which was expected by people around the league. They took an approach not many teams go for, adding players who are struggling but still have a lot of potential. The additions of Jaden Ivey, who hasn’t played his best this season while coming back from a devastating injury, and Rob Dillingham, who was never really given a big opportunity in Minnesota, fit that idea. The Bulls are a work in progress at the guard positions, but they are very exciting.

@BallersCulture:
Chicago essentially weaponized patience. Ivey has already flashed scoring bursts around 13 PPG in early action, and we’ve seen his near-18 PPG ceiling pre-injury in Detroit. Dillingham’s 3.6 PPG sample is small, but the creation flashes are real. Add Anfernee Simons into the guard mix and suddenly the Bulls have layered scoring, speed, and shot-making across multiple timelines.

A Roster Built on Youth, Everywhere

@SMHighlights1:
The Chicago Bulls are very young overall. The oldest player on their roster is Guerschon Yabusele, and he’s only 30 years old. They still have plenty of hidden talent yet to prove itself in players like Noa Essengue, the 12th pick in last summer’s draft, and Leonard Miller, whom the Bulls just acquired as part of the Dillingham trade. I don’t expect everything to be perfect in Chicago, or even close to good, but I do expect this team to come together in two to three years and become one of the better teams in the NBA.

@BallersCulture:
And that projection aligns with the developmental curve. Essengue (19) remains a long-term swing despite injury, Leonard Miller adds athletic frontcourt upside, and Matas Buzelis is already flashing 20+ point scoring nights. When your core ranges from 19 to 26, you’re not chasing playoff spots, you’re engineering a synchronized prime.

Billy Donovan’s Role in the Rebuild

@SMHighlights1:
Billy Donovan is the Chicago Bulls’ head coach. He was brought in during the 2020 offseason after being dismissed by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Some Bulls fans have complained about Donovan’s coaching style, and some people around the league feel that he lets his players play too freely and is too non-directive. These critics have a fair point, but Billy has been known as one of the smartest head coaches in the NBA. He knows the game extremely well and even played in the NBA in the late 1980s. He signed a multi-year contract extension over the offseason and is expected to stay throughout this rebuild.

@BallersCulture:
And that freedom may be intentional. Developmental rosters require experimentation, on-ball reps, and mistake tolerance. Donovan’s system isn’t rigid, it’s growth-centric. With Chicago hovering around 24–29, wins aren’t the metric, progression is. If this core matures the way its talent suggests, Donovan’s extension will look like foresight, not faith.

As this rebuild unfolds, Chicago isn’t chasing relevance, they’re constructing sustainability. With layered guard talent, draft upside, and a patient developmental timeline, the foundation feels far more intentional than people realize. In collaboration with @SMHighlights1, it’s clear: the Bulls may be young now, but the trajectory is quietly dangerous.