The 2026-27 NBA season is here! Check out our team previews, including power rankings, best- and worst-case scenarios, and fantasy advice.
2025-26 finish
Record: 31-51 (12th in the East, did not make the playoffs)
Offseason moves
Draft: Caleb Wilson (No. 4), Dailyn Swain (No. 15)
Signings: Norman Powell (2 years, $45 million), Zach Collins (2-year, $17 million extension)
Trades: Nic Claxton (from Brooklyn), Buddy Hield (from Hornets)
Key departures:Collin Sexton (signed with Lakers), Anfernee Simons (signed with 76ers), Nick Richards (signed with Heat), Rob Dillingham (traded to Hornets)
Preseason Power Rankings: No. 25
What's exciting: Caleb Wilson was the most gifted athlete in the draft, with the bounce to finish above traffic or spring back up for an offensive rebound. Then, in Las Vegas Summer League, he looked more like a go-to scorer with an ability to drain 3s off the dribble and drive to the rim. There's a chance he turns out to be the steal of the draft as the fourth pick if he sustains his skill development into real games. At a minimum, Josh Giddey should have some fun throwing him lobs, and Matas Buzelis now has a compelling frontcourt partner to grow with. Together, they give Chicago three big creators who can initiate the offense and attack in different ways. It'll be fascinating to see how Tiago Splitter gets them creating opportunities for each other as the Bulls begin to build their next era.
What's concerning: There could be a sizable gap between how exciting the Bulls look in the open floor and how difficult they are to guard in the half-court. As many shot creators as there are on the team, it remains to be seen how effective any of them will be at shooting off the dribble and thus causing the defense to respect them on the perimeter. There is a lot of pressure on Splitter to find the right combination of players to optimize the development of the young core. — Kevin O'Connor
Preseason Power Rankings: How all 30 teams stack up ahead of 2026-27
Fantasy watch
Jalen Smith is a riser: 13 and 8 in 20 minutes in Wednesday's preseason game, and with Nic Claxton out (hamstring, will be re-evaluated on Oct. 19), he's the clearest injury fill-in on the board.
Caleb Wilson will likely hurt your efficiency, but the points-league appeal is real: 15 points in 29 minutes with a path to 30-plus mpg. — Dan Titus
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Basketball league for the 2026-27 NBA season
2026-27 schedule
Opening week: 10/21 at Raptors, 10/23 at Bucks, 10/24 vs. Wizards
Betting perspective
29.5 — win total
+8000 to win division
+75000 to win NBA Finals
Best case, worst case
Best case: Just outside the Play-In + young core impresses
I almost went full "September NBA Thoughts" and tossed out a firm play-in nod, but I do think that'd take some injury misfortune and general underachieving ahead of them. Still, it's not hard for me to envision the Bulls being better-than-expected defensively, thus fueling a breakneck transition attack that catches teams off guard.
Toss in some fringe All-Star cases for Giddey, Powell (who just earned his first selection) and/or Buzelis, and you'd have to feel good about where things are going. Add in a potential Rookie of the Year run from Wilson, and you'd feel even better.
Also, back to Giddey specifically: if he takes a meaningful step with his inside-the-arc effectiveness, you enter the offseason feeling better about him (and his contract) or with a pretty enticing trade chip — on a good contract — if you wish to sell high.
Worst case: Bottom of the East + Giddey stagnation
The new lottery rules (don't get me started) already make finishing at the bottom of the standings way less enticing. If the Bulls are awful and you don't get the Giddey answers you want … yeesh. They wouldn't be in an impossible spot by any means, but you'd run the risk of prolonging the road to sustained success. Bulls fans deserve a lot better. — Nekias Duncan