Bulls Hire New Head Coach While Polymarket Traders Predict 2027 NBA Champions

The Chicago Bulls made it official on Tuesday as the team hired the 25th head coach in franchise history.

Tiago Splitter, a former center-turned-assistant coach, will lead the Bulls into the 2026-27 season. He will replace Billy Donovan, who stepped down in April after six season leading the team.

Splitter comes to the Bulls after most recently serving as interim head coach of the Trail Blazers. He led the team to a 42-40 record and a spot in the Western Conference Playoffs after Chauncey Billup’s arrest for ties to an alleged rigged poker scheme.

“We are excited to welcome Tiago to the Chicago Bulls,” said Chicago Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham in a statement.

“Throughout our process, Tiago stood apart for his basketball intellect, his ability to connect with and develop players, and the way his teams compete every single night.

“He has won at every level of the game as both a player and a coach, on multiple continents, and we believe his vision is the right fit for our young roster. We are excited to partner with him as we build the next era of Bulls basketball.”

Splitter taking over the Bulls means that he will try to get this once-dominant franchise back into regular playoff contention. This team only has two playoff appearances in the last 10 years, and it hasn’t moved beyond the first round since 2014-15.

Will his hiring lead to greater success? It’s early, but the Polymarket traders haven’t shown faith yet.

The 2025-26 season just ended with the Knicks winning the title over the Spurs, so traders are already making wagers for the 2026-27 season. They are trying to predict which team will win the title in June 2027.

The Thunder lead the way with a 20% chance to win the title. The Spurs are second at 19%. The Knicks are at 13% while the Celtics are at 12%.

These are the only teams with more than a 10% chance to win the title, according to traders.

The Bulls, for comparison, are currently tied among teams with the lowest chance to win the 2026-27 title. They sit at 1% as of June 16, 2026.

The other teams with a 1% chance to win the title include the 76ers, Hornets, Jazz, Trail Blazers, Raptors, Mavericks, Clippers, Magic, Suns, Bucks, Grizzlies, Nets, Pelicans, and Kings.

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