THE CHICAGO BULLS’ UNINTENTIONAL TANK: A MASTERCLASS IN ACCIDENTAL REBUILDING

The Chicago Bulls are not tanking on purpose—they’re simply bad at basketball right now. But despite their best efforts to win, this reality could drive NBA rebuilding teams crazy jealous as they watch the Bulls slowly dismantle their own roster and inadvertently set themselves up for a high draft pick in a loaded 2026 class.

Under the direction of Arturas Karnisovas, the Bulls’ Executive VP of Basketball Operations, the team has assembled a roster that just doesn’t work. Despite the front office’s intention to build a competitive team, the reality is that this roster can’t win—no matter how hard they try. The Bulls have assembled a mix of new players and young talent who haven’t had the time to gel, and it’s showing on the court.

A Roster in Flux: Can’t Win, Can’t Rebuild?

The Bulls have undergone a significant transformation in the past few months, with seven new players joining the roster, including four guards. They also added Mac McClung on a two-way deal, giving the team even more unproven talent. Yet, this collection of players, many of whom weren’t regular contributors with their previous teams, has failed to find cohesion.

This unbalanced roster is filled with players still learning a new system under head coach Billy Donovan, who has been forced to implement an up-tempo scheme that many of these players simply aren’t equipped for. Most of the new acquisitions aren’t even in shape enough to execute the pace that Donovan demands. And that’s not even accounting for injuries to key players like Josh Giddey, Tre Jones, and Zach Collins—with Collins’ return still uncertain.

With such a mix of new players, injuries, and a mismatch of styles, the Bulls are now in the unique position of accidentally tanking. They’re losing by design, not because they’re intentionally trying to tank, but because they just can’t win.

The Bulls’ Perfect Tanking Setup: Playing All the Right Cards

In what seems like an odd twist of fate, the Bulls have unintentionally created the kind of tanking situation that other teams can only dream of. Despite making multiple moves to improve the roster, the combination of new players, injuries, lack of chemistry, and Donovan’s up-tempo approach is simply too much for the Bulls to overcome.

Anfernee Simons, acquired in the trade for Nikola Vucevic, started his first game for Chicago against the Toronto Raptors in a 16-point loss. He played 32 minutes, a significant role, but despite his efforts, the Bulls couldn’t overcome the deficit. Guerschon Yabusele came off the bench to play 33 minutes, and Jaden Ivey started next to Simons and also logged 33 minutes.

Two nights later, this same trio—along with Collin Sexton and Rob Dillingham—helped the Bulls build a 104-97 lead over the Denver Nuggets entering the fourth quarter. But in typical tank fashion, they were outscored by 23 points in the final 12 minutes, losing by 16.

And if you thought the trend was just a one-off, think again. The Bulls followed up by losing to the Brooklyn Nets, the owners of the fifth-worst record in the league, 123-115 in a game that was tied entering the fourth. That makes three straight games, and three straight losses in classic tanking fashion.

Minutes for the Young Guns: A Silver Lining in the Tank

Despite the losses piling up, the Bulls have made a conscious decision to give significant playing time to their younger players. Simons has started all three of his games for the Bulls, averaging 32.7 minutes per game, and Sexton has averaged 30.5 minutes coming off the bench. Ivey has played 29.0 minutes per game over three starts, while Yabusele has averaged 27.3 minutes. Meanwhile, players like Nick Richards and Dillingham have also received consistent minutes, helping round out the developmental focus.

The most remarkable part of this is that none of these players were even playing 10 minutes per game a week ago, showing just how much the Bulls are pushing their young players in an effort to build for the future.

This focus on player development is only accentuated by the fact that the Bulls have now lost five games in a row. The next five games are against Eastern Conference playoff teams, including Boston, Toronto, Detroit, New York, and Charlotte—likely to extend the losing streak and push the Bulls further toward a high draft pick.

The Bulls’ Unintended Mastery of Tanking

By inadvertently making their roster worse—through injuries and ill-fitting acquisitions—Arturas Karnisovas has created a situation that teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, and Sacramento Kings have been chasing for years. It’s a case of being so bad at winning that you can’t help but lose.

And while Chicago fans may not be thrilled with the direction of the team, the Bulls have managed to put themselves in prime position to secure one of the top spots in the draft lottery. If the season ended today, they’d have the ninth-best odds at landing the No. 1 pick in this year’s deep draft.

The team’s accidental tank could work out in the long run. With a loaded draft class featuring several franchise-changing players, the Bulls might just come out of this season with a top-tier talent to add to their young core. The goal is no longer simply to win, but to position themselves for the future by acquiring a game-changing player.

Conclusion: The Bulls’ Road Ahead

While the Bulls are currently in the midst of a rebuilding process that might not have been intentional, the reality is that the team is on track to secure a high pick in what is expected to be one of the deepest NBA drafts in recent memory. This is exactly the scenario that tanking teams like the Nets, Wizards, and Kings have been striving for: a perfect storm of injuries, roster mismanagement, and unfit chemistry, resulting in a clear path to the lottery.

For the Bulls, the road ahead will be focused on player development and securing their future, while fans might have to endure a few more losses along the way. The silver lining is that the Bulls’ missteps could lead to a major draft win, which could set them up for success in the years to come.

As the Bulls continue to navigate this season, Donovan and Karnisovas must make sure the young players get the experience they need, all while ensuring the team ends up in a position to capitalize on the 2026 draft class. Whether by accident or design, the Bulls’ perfect tank may have already started to work in their favor.