After winning their preseason opener against the Suns, the Bulls then suffered close losses to the Grizzlies and Nuggets. Ricky and Jason go through the roster to highlight the biggest storylines from these two preseason losses.

(02:14) - Caleb Wilson has been a roller-coaster ride this preseason, but there have been plenty of exciting star flashes. After a quiet first half against the Grizzlies, Wilson exploded in the second half with a barrage of 3-pointers. He followed that up with a solid game against the Nuggets that did still feature plenty of mistakes. The Bulls are clearly giving Wilson a lot of leash to make mistakes, and there are going to be plenty of growing pains. What's the best way to handle Wilson's development?

(17:45) - Matas Buzelis missed the Grizzlies game with an injury but returned for the Nuggets game and got off to a hot start from 3-point range after missing all of his triples against the Suns. Buzelis cooled off from deep after that but still wound up having a solid overall game as he shows an ongoing determination to get to the rim. However, there are still some concerns about his handle and playmaking ability as he tries to make a major leap in Year 3.

(23:38) - Leonard Miller has arguably been the Bulls' best player in preseason, with his 26-point performance against the Nuggets really standing out. Not only was Miller everywhere as usual, he also hit four 3-pointers. Miller is making a strong case for big minutes this season off the bench and is making the Ayo Dosunmu trade look much better despite the Rob Dillinngham disaster.

(35:55) - Rookie Dailyn Swain has been a disappointment so far, and Ricky is second-guessing his positive pre-draft evaluation. While Swain has been better than he was in Summer League, that bar was so low there was nowhere to go but up. Swain just doesn't look like the same guy he was at Texas with his lack of effective slashing, and his ugly 3-point shot needs a total overhaul. Will he get a lot of time in the G League or actually get rotation minutes to start the season?

(43:26) - While Ricky is quickly souring on Swain, he's keeping more hope alive for Noa Essengue, who has seen more playing time in the last couple games. Essengue continues to struggle offensively, especially with his 3-point shot, but he did a bit more all over the court in Denver. In an intriguing move, the Bulls had Essengue pressuring the ball 94 feet, frustrating Jamal Murray on several occasions. Essengue does look ticketed for a lot of G League minutes and could wind up being a lost cause if he never develops offensively, but it's hard to give up on his size and athletic profile given he's still just so young.

(56:17) - Final quick-hitter thoughts on Patrick Williams, Jordan Hawkins, Orlando Robinson, Josh Giddey, Tre Jones' return and the Bulls' bench.

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The Bulls tipped off preseason play with a 124-117 victory over the Suns at the United Center. It was a sloppy, roller-coaster affair as expected, with turnovers aplenty committed by both teams. But all preseason caveats aside, there was plenty to break down all across the roster.

The main focus was on Caleb Wilson's debut, and it was a predictably messy affair. While there were some tantalizing flashes throughout the night, Wilson's 3-point shot didn't look good and he was a bit overeager on both ends of the court. There will be plenty of growing pains in Wilson's rookie season, and it'll be important for him to learn from his mistakes as he gets more experience.

Matas Buzelis also took center stage as the last player announced in the starting lineup, and he had an up-and-down game as well. Buzelis got off to a rip-roaring start with aggressive drives to the basket, but his 3-point shooting was a rough spot. The youngster missed all six of his 3-point attempts, including a number of airballs. Defensively, he had a tough assignment guarding the perimeter, leading to a rather mixed bag on that end.

As for the rest of the starting lineup, Norman Powell did his thing in one half, while Josh Giddey looked like Josh Giddey. Jalen Smith got the start in place of the injured Nic Claxton and showed why he has a case to be the Opening Night starting center.

Off the bench, Dailyn Swain was thrust into a point guard role again with Tre Jones out, and it looked like it was going to be a disaster at the outset. Swain struggled against ball pressure and committed several ugly turnovers, but instead of spiraling, he got better as the game went on and showed improvement.

Tobe Awaka and Leonard Miller were other standouts, while Noa Essengue and Patrick Williams didn't see the court until the second half. Williams did make a pair of 3-pointers in his second-half action, but Essengue once again struggled offensively and looks targeted for the G League.

The Bulls play the Grizzlies and Nuggets this weekend as preseason action continues.

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2026 Bulls Media Day arrived Monday to officially tip off training camp, but before that, the Bulls traded Rob Dillingham to the Hornets for Buddy Hield. Dillingham was almost immediately waived by the Hornets, while Hield will bring a veteran presence, elite shooting and a possible trade chip to Chicago.

After breaking down the Hield trade, Ricky and Jason go through their biggest takeaways from Media Day. Bryson Graham and Tiago Splitter got the ball rolling and stressed that the Bulls are at the ground floor of a rebuild and that this upcoming season will focus on development. But while there may not be a lot of wins this season, there can still be plenty of fun.

Graham also discussed his first offseason in charge and noted the trade market didn't develop as hoped when it came to acquiring more draft assets, so he used the Bulls' robust cap space to acquire vets Nic Claxton and Norman Powell to improve the floor of the team. The Bulls still have flexibility and there will be more opportunities for moves during the season, but Graham isn't going to mortgage the future for short-term gain. Graham is talking the talk so far, but he needs to prove soon he can walk th walk.

On the injury front, Zach Collins is predictably already hurting, though he should be back relatively soon. Josh Giddey is at 100% after offseason ankle surgery, and everybody else is good to go.

As for the biggest player storylines, everything revolves around Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis. The hype train is going full steam ahead for Wilson, though Graham wants to temper expectations and not go too overboard. Buzelis is looking forward to more "freedom" on both ends of the court, and his shot diet is going to be a big talking point this season as he looks to diversify his offensive skill set and take more mid-range shots. Fans will be paying close attention to how Splitter handles Wilson and Buzelis after complaints of Billy Donovan's short leash for Buzelis.

How rookie Dailyn Swain bounces back from a terrible Summer League will also be something to watch, and Splitter noted it has been a night and day difference at training camp. There hasn't been a whole lot about Noa Essengue, but Splitter noted he's looking aggressive early in camp.

The Bulls will have about a week of training camp before their first preseason game on Oct. 7 against the Suns.

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