2024-25 Chicago Bulls: A Quick Preview

The team has a total payroll of $174,994,656 for the 2024-25 season, ranking 18th in the NBA.

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Return: Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Jevon Carter, Dalen Terry, Julian Phillips, Patrick Williams, Torrey Craig, Adama Sanogo, Onuralp Bitim

Additions: Josh Giddey (Oklahoma City), Jalen Smith (Indiana), Chris Duarte (Sacramento), Matas Buzelis (G League Ignite), Talen Horton-Tucker (Utah), EJ Liddell (Phoenix), Kenneth Lofton Jr (Utah)

Departures: DeMar DeRozan (Sacramento), Alex Caruso (Oklahoma City), Andre Drummond (Philadelphia), Javonte Green (New Orleans)

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The Bulls' young core of Giddey, Buzelis, White and Williams brings versatility and potential and provides a solid foundation for the team's future. trainer Billy Donovan prefers multiple ballplayers on the court, especially those with size, so this team could be similar to the 2019-20 Oklahoma City Thunder. While both Buzelis and Giddey need to improve their shooting, their overall potential is promising. If Zach LaVine and veterans like Vucevic and Ball have a bounce-back season, the Bulls could do better than expected.

The Bulls are dealing with a depleted frontcourt despite the addition of Smith, and their lack of proven interior presence leaves them vulnerable against dominant big men. Shooting inconsistencies are another major concern as the team may struggle to score consistently, especially from distance. LaVine's insecurity remains a problem; His unhappiness off the field has affected the team and his future with the Bulls is unclear, potentially stalling their rebuild. Defensively, the loss of Alex Caruso creates a significant gap. Without their defensive anchor, guarding elite perimeter players will be a challenge.

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HoopsHype: 4th in the Central Division, 10th in the Eastern Conference

ESPN: 4th in the Central Division, 12th in the Eastern Conference

Sports betting: 27.5 projected wins

HoopsHype compiled the consensus winning averages by collecting winning predictions from eight sportsbooks, including FanDuel, Fanatics, BetMGM, DraftKings, ESPN BET, BetRivers, Caesars and bet365.