SHOW / EPISODE

Could KAT Be The Bulls’ NEXT Big Swing?! 👀🐂 + Claxton Guarding POINT GUARDS?!

22m | Oct 2, 2026

Could Karl-Anthony Towns eventually become a realistic Chicago Bulls target? Could Nic Claxton actually start possessions guarding point guards? And can Tiago Splitter build an aggressive defense without Chicago constantly putting opponents on the free-throw line?

On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize breaks down three major questions surrounding the Bulls’ future and the defensive identity beginning to take shape under Tiago Splitter.

First, Karl-Anthony Towns.

Jake Fischer’s reporting has New York and Towns apart on extension value, while Towns holds a roughly $61 million player option for 2027–28. The important distinction: there is currently no credible reporting that Chicago is pursuing him. The Bulls angle is a roster-building scenario about whether Chicago’s young core could develop enough this season to make a major veteran addition sensible next summer. Pasted text

Towns averaged 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds while shooting 36.8% from three, giving Chicago a potential pick-and-pop center who could open the floor for Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson. Pasted text

But before Chicago even considers that level of investment, Matas, Caleb, Giddey and the young supporting cast need to prove this roster is ready for an expensive win-now addition. Pasted text

Then we get into one of the wildest defensive possibilities Splitter has discussed:

👀 Nic Claxton guarding point guards.

Splitter did not announce that as an everyday assignment, but he floated it as a matchup possibility. That creates fascinating options for cross-matching, switching and using Chicago’s length to disrupt an offense before the first screen even arrives. Pasted text

And finally…

😤 Chicago wants to become more physical defensively. But the NBA’s officiating points of emphasis on push-offs, screening contact, freedom of movement and driving lanes mean aggression has to come with discipline. Pasted text

🔥 On today’s Chicago Bulls Central:

  • 👀 Could Karl-Anthony Towns fit Chicago’s 2027 timeline?
  • 🌟 What Matas Buzelis must prove before a major Bulls investment
  • 💪 Why Caleb Wilson’s development matters to any KAT scenario
  • 💰 The roster decisions required to afford a star-level addition
  • 🔒 Nic Claxton guarding point guards?!
  • 🧠 Switching vs. cross-matching explained
  • 😳 Claxton potentially starting possessions on Cade Cunningham
  • 🚫 Who protects the rim when Claxton is outside?
  • 😤 How physical can Chicago play under the NBA’s officiating emphasis?
  • 🐂 What Bulls fans should track during preseason

💬 What would Matas and Caleb have to show this season for YOU to support Chicago spending big on a player like Karl-Anthony Towns?

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