The first domino to fall in the 2026 NBA offseason wasn’t a star or even a current player for that matter; it was a head coach. 

The Chicago Bulls felt the need to shake things up after six seasons with Billy Donovan, who only had one postseason appearance during that span of time. Tiago Splitter made the postseason in his first year with the Portland Trail Blazers and while they were eliminated in five games by the San Antonio Spurs, the campaign was an overall success considering the low expectations. 

Splitter joins the Bulls at a time when they are trying to get out of the basketball equivalent of development hell: the talent is there, but even then, the Play-In Tournament felt like a distant dream. This isn’t to say Donovan did a terrible job, but he could only do so much. Chicago needed someone to get them over the hump and they’re banking on Splitter to be the one to do so. 

The teams Splitter coached played with a frenetic pace and it was not just to exert pressure, but also to maximize opportunities that can come and go quickly. Splitter’s teams also tend to be disruptive as beyond the pace, their positioning and timing, especially on the defensive end, forces opponents to make ill-advised decisions. 

Beyond the X’s and O’s, Splitter’s ability to get the buy-in of his players must have resonated with the Bulls front office. The Brazilian was thrust into the role of Portland’s head coach just a few months after signing on as an assistant and the players rallied behind him, resulting in a great campaign for the Blazers by their recent standards. 

What would be the expectations for Splitter as he moves to Chicago? Positive change is one, whether that be in more wins or even better play. The 2014 NBA Champion was able to make Portland a stout defensive team and expect him to lay down the principles for that to happen with the Bulls. Another would be laying down a culture that not only promotes winning, but does so over a long time. His experience in the NBA and even in Europe shaped his philosophy and is something he will share with a relatively young squad looking for an identity. 

However, the expectations for Splitter should be tempered. The Bulls roster could still change to suit what Splitter wants to run and an adjustment phase is expected as this will be his first training camp. He’s also had a total of two seasons as a head coach under his belt, one of which was in Europe. As great as he has been, the experience could make him even better. 

Thus, Chicago Bulls fans should be a bit more patient. Success has largely evaded them in recent years, so a little more waiting shouldn’t be a problem, especially if there are incremental results that give them hope. Playing the long game with Tiago Splitter will be worth it.