Bulls given 25% chance of making NBA playoffs in offseason odds

It’s been an active offseason for the Bulls in their effort to take the next step in an ongoing rebuild. Thaddeus Young signed in free agency, Tomas Satoransky came over in a sign-and-trade with the Wizards and Coby White represents the future at point guard after his selection in the first round of the NBA Draft.

All of those moves appear to be pushing the Bulls in the right direction, but will it be enough to reach the playoffs? The odds makers are skeptical, with BetOnline.AG giving the franchise a 24.8% chance of reaching the postseason in the first full season under head coach Jim Boylen.

Officially, the Bulls are listed at +290 to make the playoffs and -350 to miss them, which comes out to an percentage chance of just under one-in-four.

None of that should be particularly surprising for the Bulls, who won a total of 49 games over the last two seasons. They’ve been one of the NBA’s worst teams since trading Jimmy Butler to kickstart a rebuild, and while an assortment of solid moves have improved their roster, teams across the league added star players this summer.

Among teams in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls have the 11th-highest odds. Here’s the full list:

1. Bucks – 91.2%
2. 76ers – 89.3%
3. Celtics – 82.5%
4. Pacers – 81.6%
5. Raptors – 72.5%
6. Nets – 71.5%
7. Heat – 68.9%
8. Magic – 64.3%
9. Pistons – 41.2%
10. Hawks – 34.5%
11. BULLS – 24.8%
12. Wizards – 17.5%
13. Knicks – 16.1%
14. Cavaliers – 12.1%
15. Hornets – 10.7%

The Bucks and Clippers are tied for the highest odds to make the postseason (91.2%), while the Suns have the lowest odds (8.8%). The Warriors, who have won at least 57 games and reached the NBA Finals in five consecutive seasons, have just a 75.2% chance of reaching the playoffs after losing Kevin Durant to free agency and Klay Thompson to injury.