Ty's 2026-2027 NBA Preview: Kings, Bucks, Bulls
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For the next ten days I will be counting down the NBA teams from last to best, in my personal opinion. I'll tell you why I have each team where I have them, what I expect from them and how I see their season playing out. I'll dive a little deep into each team given that I'm only doing three a day. I love the NBA, the season is right around the corner and I look forward to watching these teams play this season. Let's get to it.
At number 30 I have the Sacramento Kings. The Kings continue to be the Kings. They just cannot seem to get it right. They traded away De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, both of whom have just played in the Finals. They are looking to offload Domantas Sabonis, so that means he will probably play in the Finals this season. Sabonis is a solid enough player, but he is not often injured and his trade value has dropped pretty significantly. I don't know what they could honestly get for him at this point. They may be able to find a bench guy and a late first round pick, but that seems almost too high. Sabonis is still a good passer, and can score, but it feels like he is past his prime. Darius Acuff is going to score and score in bunches. But he is going to be inefficient. He is a rookie, he will hit a wall. But he will also get the keys to the offense and he will get to shoot the ball to his heart's content. Keegan Murray has never reached the heights he did as a rookie. He has playoff experience, he can score the ball, but he is coming off an injury, and his contract looks to be an anchor around the front office's neck. He still has potential, but time is running out. Zach Lavine has decent career stats, but they feel so hollow. I don't know that he has ever played a truly important game in the NBA. And his explosiveness is pretty much gone. Father time has caught up to him unfortunately. He doesn't play much defense either, but no one on the Kings is all that committed to playing defense. They're taking a shot on De'Andre Hunter, and while I thought he was going to be a good pro, his game has not translated to the NBA. He is just a step slow, and his shot has not come along all that well. Precious Achiuwa is still in the league and he is still getting minutes with this team. Ben Simmons is back in the NBA, and he has looked solid in preseason. Will that translate to when the games matter? Who knows. But he is going to get a real shot at proving he still belongs in the NBA. Malik Monk is a scoring machine, but he does not bring anything else to this squad. He would be much better off being a bench guy on a true contender right now. Efird Payton is here, because why not I guess. Payton can do little things, but not enough to make a true impact on the floor. I don't think Alex Karaban is long for the NBA, Maxime Raynaud is hurt and will miss the start of the season and they're going to give Leaky black a chance. The Kings are going to be bad this year. I would be shocked if they win 20 games. The offense is going to look very rough, and the defense will be even worse. The Kings give up on players way too soon and it seems to bite them in the butt. I wish they were as good as they were in the late 90's and early 2000's, but here we are. The Kings are a mess.
At 29 I have the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks pulled the plug on Giannis, which was the right thing to do. He needed some fresh scenery, and the Bucks needed a rebuild. They got some dudes in the trade, but they're a few years away from being a few years away. Thanks for that saying Fran Friscilla. Ke'el Ware was the prize of the trade. The Bucks were very aggressive in asking the Heat for them, and they gave in and included him in the deal. Ware is a very raw player, but he has loads of talent and potential. He can protect the rim and throw it down, he just needs to do the rest now. He will get every opurtunity in Milwaukee. I do not think Tyler Herro will stick around. He is too needy, too risky and not as great as he may think he is at basketball. I love the Brayden Burries pick. He could be a very good, jack of all trades player in the future. But he is a rookie and he needs time and minutes. I am not a Nate Ament guy, but the Bucks traded up to draft him and I think they have expectations for him during his rookie year. He needs to bulk up, but the talent is there. AJ Green had a decent year last season, and I wouldn't be shocked if he continued to get a little better this season with more playing time. Jaime Jacquez Jr is very well suited for a bench role, but he will be starting on this team, and that may be too much of a load for him to take on right now. Caris Levert is now on the team, and while he can score, he is on the back half of his career, and he is not great on defense. Kyle Kuzma is somehow still in the NBA and still getting real minutes on this team. Kevin Porter Jr is a good scorer, but he is also a hothead that cannot produce without the ball in his hands. Kam Jones will get a shot to make the team, and I would be stunned if Myles Turner is still on this team by the all star break. The Bucks had to do something big and they did just that. It will set the team back a few seasons, but they also got some solid young players in the trade and those dudes will get a shot to prove themselves this season.
The final team for the day, at number 28 I have the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls will be kind of fun to watch, but they will not win a ton of games. Caleb Wilson is going to be awesome. He has all the skills to be an all star. He is explosive to the rim, has an okay jumper and can rebound the ball and start the fast break. His three point shot should only get better during his rookie season. I am going to really like watching him play basketball. Josh Giddey is average, and that is just fine. He can't shoot the three, but he can attack the rim. He can guard perimeter guys a bit, but gets crushed by everyone else. He is a solid passer, but not elite. Matas Buzelis needs to pop now. This is year three and the idea of waiting on his potential needs to stop now. He needs to show that he is ready to be a full time starter in the NBA this year. Zach Collins has never found a spot to stick around in the NBA. I felt like he was drafted too high, and now that is showing. He is, at best, a backup big. I'd be shocked if Norm Powell is still on the team past December. I don't know why he signed with the Bulls, but he is there now and he will get every shot he wants. The Cavs moved Isaac Okoro over last season, and that seems like the right move by them. Okoro did play better after the trade, but he has not lived up to his potential as of yet. Patrick Williams hasn't figured it out. Buddy Hield seems like a placeholder. Tre Jones is a good backup point guard. And who knows what Noa Essengue can provide this team. The sheer fact that they have Caleb Wilson makes this team fun. But fun and winning games is not one and the same. The Bulls will struggle, but Caleb Wilson will be a blast to watch.
That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next three teams.
Ty
Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.
