What a difference a year makes.

This time last season, the Bulls were in denial. They failed to acknowledge their reality and refused to put the team on a healthier path forward.

At Media Day 2026, new executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham was not shy about telling it like it is: the Bulls are in a rebuild.

That is the best path forward. And that should be considered a good thing.

“Just because the word rebuild is out there doesn’t mean that this can’t be fun, this can’t be exciting,” Graham said Monday. “We get to understand what this team is going to look like and what we’re working towards. So we want to establish competitive standards right from the beginning. That’s what we’re going to be about, and even if the results haven’t kind of caught up to the process, that’s okay. This is going to be a fun time. It’s going to be an exciting time. This foundation is being laid, brick by brick, to bring a championship back to the city of Chicago. Raising that banner keeps me up at night.”

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