RotoWire ranks active ringless stars by win shares, led by Chris Paul (215.13) and James Harden (174.70) with the Los Angeles Clippers, both chasing a first title. Jimmy Butler, Rudy Gobert, DeMar DeRozan, Mike Conley, Paul George, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jonas Valanciunas and Nikola Vucevic also headline the list, offering a mix of playmaking, scoring and defensive impact for fantasy managers.

Fantasy angles hinge on role clarity and health as Paul and Harden pursue a title, Gobert anchors defense, and DeRozan provides steady volume on a crowded landscape. Clippers sit around +1900; other top bets include Oklahoma City, Cleveland, Denver, New York and Houston, creating late-season buy/sell opportunities across guards, wings and bigs.

Chicago pulls off a defensive pivot by acquiring Isaac Okoro from Cleveland, betting that his physical, multi-positional perimeter defense can catalyze a cultural reset. Okoro vows to guard the toughest assignments and lead with effort, while Billy Donovan weighs starting options as the Bulls push to maximize defensive energy. The move comes as Chicago emphasizes a faster, more relentless pace, with Okoro’s leadership seeding a contagious hustle throughout training camp.

Okoro’s arrival isn’t just about one player; it signals a broader shift in the Bulls’ roster dynamics. Young talents like Matas Buzelis are watching closely as Okoro models the gritty, team-first mindset the team seeks. The conversation around roles, rotations, and defensive identity could define Chicago’s fantasy upside this season, especially for managers seeking a true hustle-based floor.

Buzelis stole Bulls media day with candor and swagger, framing growth as a team pursuit and vowing to chase Most Improved Player. His confidence, paired with an energized locker room, signals Chicago’s push toward a youth-led rebuild while the front office doubles down on internal development and patience.

Chicago’s veterans—White, Dosunmu, Vucevic—provide stability as the franchise leans into its young core. Front office logic centers on development and draft leverage, with a reminder of last season’s play-in stumble. The mood: win first, grow together, and let the sea of potential try to translate into wins when the season opens against a Heat reminder of past bumps.

Josh Giddey signed four years, $100 million with the Chicago Bulls, a mid-point reached after a lengthy negotiation. The deal gives Chicago a ball-dominant playmaker whose raw totals look strong, but questions linger about efficiency, off-ball shooting, and defense. The move tightens the Bulls’ payroll with unclear spacing implications, inviting scrutiny of how the rest of the roster—Vučević, Williams, White—will complement him. The result feels like a calculated risk that may only edge Chicago toward play-in lethargy rather than a true upgrade.

Chicago’s plan around Giddey highlights a wider roster puzzle: can the Bulls assemble reliable spacing and scoring around a high-usage guard and still maximize floor balance? With White not extended, Vučević still on the roster, and Williams at roughly $18 million, the team’s direction looks murky, draft strategy appears limited, and the potential ceiling remains uncertain.

Overall, the deal signals risk over immediate uplift. Without a bold, coherent plan to maximize Giddey’s strengths and mitigate his weaknesses, Chicago risks stagnation rather than a meaningful leap forward.