The Chicago Bulls are going through a dramatic offseason overhaul after going 31-51 in the 2025-26 NBA season. While their poor record landed them the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, it also cost Team President Arturas Karnisovas his job. Head coach Billy Donovan stepped down, and now the Bulls have an offseason of major decisions under new GM Bryson Graham.
The Bulls are expected to have a considerable amount of roster turnover after dismantling their previous core over the 2026 trade deadline. Outside of Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis, no player in the current Bulls core seems to be safe as a long-term option.
The NBA’s reported draft lottery overhaul won’t incentivize tanking, so the team likely will hope to take a step towards contention. The Bulls are expected to select Caleb Wilson with the No. 4 pick, while also holding the No. 15, 27, and 43 picks in the 2026 Draft. This could allow them to select potential prospects across positions, with the team having a clear hole at center and shooting guard to fill.
The Bulls will also be expected to use the 2026 offseason to reshape their team, helping them become competitive quickly, while also putting together pieces that can grow together. They head into the offseason with 11 players under contract (12 assuming they accept Leonard Miller’s $2.4 million team option), and a league-high $54 million in cap space if they renounce all their free agents, including Anfernee Simons, Zach Collins, Collin Sexton, among others.
Here are five realistic offseason free agent targets for the Bulls this summer.
1. Walker Kessler
Contract Status: Restricted Free Agent
Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler would be one of the best free agent signings the Bulls could make. They’re heading into next season with just Jalen Smith under contract in their center rotation, so they could sign Kessler and potentially draft a center like Chris Cenac Jr. or Jayden Quaintance in the draft as well. Kessler would be the defensive fulcrum of the new-look Bulls offense, but it might require Chicago to overpay and ensure Utah doesn’t hold on to him in restricted free agency.
A potential contract offer that starts at four years, $125 million might help the Bulls land Kessler. The Jazz already have an expensive frontcourt with Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., so letting Kessler walk in free agency and open up a spot in the frontcourt for AJ Dybantsa might work in their favor anyway.
Kessler got hurt five games into the 2025-26 season, with a shoulder injury bringing his season to an early end, but he averaged 12.2 rebounds, 11.1 points, and 2.4 blocks in the 2024-25 season.
The 22-year-old is one of the best defensive centers in the NBA, but offense is a clear weakness in his game. A point guard like Giddey can maximize his efficiency under the basket, but the Bulls will have to supplement Kessler’s presence with scorers to give them the best chance to succeed while giving presumed No. 4 pick Wilson a reason to improve his outside shooting.
2. Quentin Grimes
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
Quentin Grimes might be the perfect free agent option to address one of the Bulls’ other major weaknesses, which is off-ball shooting. While they ended the season with an overloaded guard rotation, they don’t really have any sustainable long-term 3-and-D players outside Leonard Miller, who’s a frontcourt option. The Bulls need to address options for Giddey’s backcourt partner, and Grimes might be the best option on the market this offseason.
Grimes averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists with the Philadelphia 76ers last season. He is an unrestricted free agent and could be incentivized into joining the Bulls for a bigger role than returning to the competitive 76ers as a likely bench option. Grimes has shown he’s a capable on-ball scorer who can also be an effective off-ball 3-and-D option. He’d be a great option next to Giddey in the backcourt and is low-usage enough to ensure Buzelis or Wilson can continue to thrive.
The Bulls could sign Kessler and Grimes to put together a starting five that could legitimately push for the playoffs. They’d also retain multiple players already on the roster, such as Miller, Smith, Patrick Williams, and more, which makes adding Grimes an even more tantalizing option.
Grimes might receive offers up to the $15 million mark of the mid-level exception, so the Bulls could offer him two years and $32 to 38 million to ensure he has a reason to join. A short length will allow Grimes to re-enter free agency early if his production receives the bump it should by joining the Bulls in their current state. If he’s looking for long-term security, a three-year, $45 million deal with a player option might be the best he can get.
3. Bennedict Mathurin
Contract Status: Restricted Free Agent
Bennedict Mathurin is another potential long-term option for the Bulls to address their hole in the backcourt next to Giddey. Mathurin averaged 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists last season with the Indiana Pacers and LA Clippers, going into the offseason as a restricted free agent with the Clippers.
The Bulls will have to make Mathurin an offer that the Clippers don’t think is worth matching, which could be easier than expected if the franchise isn’t sold on Mathurin as a long-term option after using him exclusively as a sixth man last season.
The Bulls might have to offer Mathurin a multi-year deal between $25 and 30 million annually to make the Clippers not want to retain him. This is a bet on Mathurin thriving as the potential lead perimeter scorer on a Bulls team that should have an explosive Buzelis-Wilson frontcourt and a pass-first guard like Giddey. Mathurin can impact the game offensively on all three levels and has the size to be an impactful defender when motivated, as we saw during his run to the 2025 NBA Finals.
This is a risky bet, but it’s the kind that could pay off in the long-term. Even a four-year contract would line his expiration up with when Wilson’s rookie contract comes up, so the team definitely can afford to make this investment in a high-end offensive talent like Mathurin while hoping he can deliver on his upside with increased opportunity.
4. Kristaps Porzingis
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
Kristaps Porzingis joined the Golden State Warriors at the 2026 trade deadline and averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 15 games for the franchise. Acquiring him was a last-ditch effort at getting a valuable contributor to help their playoff push, which ultimately failed. While the Warriors are interested in bringing Porzingis back, he will enter free agency as a UFA and will be open for negotiations with every team in the league.
Given Porzingis’ poor injury history, any team negotiating with him will be wary of that. The Warriors have his Bird rights and can offer more than anyone else, but it makes little sense to offer Porzingis anything close to the $30 million deal he’s coming off, given his injury history. The Warriors are in a precarious win-now situation, so they’ll have to play it safe. The Bulls have the room to take a risk and could bring the 31-year-old Latvian center to Chicago with a more attractive contract offer.
Porzingis could fill their hole at center while allowing Wilson to develop as a do-it-all help defender with a rim protector covering his back. His three-point shooting will also allow Wilson to adjust more comfortably as he develops his shooting ability. This deal has major on-court benefits, but won’t be a long-term solution for the Bulls at center, so it could be a great stop-gap option while a rookie big like Cenac or Quaintance develops.
The Bulls could offer Porzingis a deal similar to the two-year, $60 million deal he’s coming off or a three-year deal, which likely tops out at $70 to $75 million. A smaller deal in Chicago might allow him to re-enter the market in two years after getting great annual value instead of compromising to stay in Golden State, which will likely want him to stay for a cheaper deal than that, so they can continue building out their roster around Curry while holding Jimmy Butler’s expiring contract without being able to play him.
5. Robert Williams III
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
Robert Williams III might be the easiest center fix for the Bulls without breaking the bank. Williams III is an unrestricted free agent coming off a year with the Portland Trail Blazers, where he averaged 6.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks. He has been stuck in a crowded center rotation in Portland for a few seasons, but shone on the court this season as the team made a run to the Playoffs and needed Williams’ winning contributions.
Williams will be the most in-demand free agent center, with contenders likely targeting him with a deal within the $15 million range of the mid-level exception. The Bulls could make a convincing offer to bring Williams on by offering him two years, $40 million as a short-term deal, which maximizes his salary. If Williams III can have a few injury-free seasons in Chicago, he’ll be in a good position to land an even better contract in two years, whether it’s with the Bulls or somewhere else.
Williams III would fit stylistically in the same way Kessler does, although he isn’t as prolific a shot-blocker and is more usable as a perimeter defender. Ultimately, Williams will need Giddey’s passing to help his offensive gifts around the rim shine while he takes care of the defense alongside Wilson. It wouldn’t be a glamorous signing, but it would tide the Bulls over in the short-term by staying competitive with a Williams and Smith center rotation.
