If you’re checking in on the United Center crew right now, you’re probably seeing a lot of mixed signals. It’s been a rollercoaster. Honestly, trying to pin down exactly what the Chicago Bulls record says about this team is like trying to catch a greased pig. One night they look like the 1996 juggernaut, and the next, they’re letting a double-digit lead evaporate faster than a puddle in July.
As of January 14, 2026, the Chicago Bulls sit at 18-21.
That’s a winning percentage of .462, putting them squarely in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. They’re effectively the poster child for the NBA's "Play-In" era. Not quite bottoming out for a top draft pick, but not exactly terrifying the heavy hitters at the top of the standings either. It’s that middle-of-the-pack purgatory fans in Chicago have become all too familiar with over the last few years.
The Current State of the 2025-26 Season
You have to look at how they got here to understand why 18-21 feels so heavy. The season actually started with a massive burst of hope. They came out of the gate 5-0. It was their best start since the 1996-97 season. People were genuinely starting to wonder if Artūras Karnišovas had finally cracked the code with this roster blend of young legs and veteran anchors.
Then reality hit. Hard.
A seven-game losing streak through November and early December turned that early-season hype into a quiet anxiety. It was the longest slide the team had seen since 2020. Since then, they've basically been trading wins and losses like Pokémon cards. They just came off a tough 119-113 loss to the Houston Rockets on January 13, which followed a surprisingly dominant win over the Dallas Mavericks where Coby White went off for 22 points.
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The numbers are kinda wild when you look at the splits. At the United Center, they’ve been decent, hovering around 11-9. Get them on a plane, though, and things get shaky. They are 7-12 on the road. It's tough to climb the Eastern Conference standings when you can't buy a win in someone else's gym.
Who is Actually Driving This Bus?
Usually, when you see a sub-.500 record, you expect the stats to be a dumpster fire. But the Bulls are actually 12th in the league in scoring, putting up 117.3 points per game. The problem? They’re giving up 120.8.
Defense is the ghost haunting this team.
Josh Giddey has been a massive bright spot, which might surprise some of the skeptics from the trade. He’s nearly averaging a triple-double with 19.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 9.0 assists. He's the engine. When he plays well, the Bulls look like a playoff team.
Then you have the veteran presence:
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- Nikola Vučević: Still a double-double machine at 35 years old, chipping in 16.5 points and 9.3 boards.
- Coby White: The scoring spark. He’s averaging 18.6 points, though he’s missed some time this year, which definitely hurt that win-loss column.
- Matas Buzelis: The rookie has been a defensive revelation even if his scoring (14.9 PPG) is still finding its rhythm. He’s averaging 1.4 blocks, which is huge for a kid his age.
The All-Time Chicago Bulls Record Context
To really appreciate the Chicago Bulls record, you have to look at the 60-year history. They aren't just some expansion team; they’re a cornerstone of the league. Since joining the NBA in 1966, the franchise has an all-time regular-season record of 2440-2360.
That .508 winning percentage is built on the backs of two very different eras. You have the "Before and After Michael Jordan" (B.M.J. and A.M.J.) and the Jordan years themselves.
During that magical run in the 90s, the Bulls won six championships. Between 1995 and 1998, they won 203 out of 246 regular-season games. That is an absurd 82.5% win rate over three years. Comparing the current 18-21 squad to those teams is unfair, but in a city like Chicago, it's the yardstick everyone uses.
Historically, the Bulls are also the only expansion team to ever make the playoffs in their very first season (1966-67). They’ve made 36 playoff appearances in total. However, the last decade has been a bit of a drought in terms of deep runs. Since the Derrick Rose era peaked in 2011 with a 62-20 record, the team has mostly lived in the "respectable but not dangerous" category.
What Most Fans Get Wrong About the Record
People see 18-21 and think the team is failing. In some ways, sure, but look at the Central Division. The Detroit Pistons are currently running away with it at 28-10. The Cleveland Cavaliers are at 22-19. The Bulls are actually sitting in 3rd place in their own division.
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They are ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks (17-23) and the Indiana Pacers (9-31).
If the season ended today, the Bulls would be in the Play-In tournament. They’re 10th in the East, trailing the Atlanta Hawks by just two games. It’s a slim margin. A three-game winning streak changes the entire narrative. A three-game losing streak starts the "fire everyone" chants on sports talk radio.
Where Do They Go From Here?
The trade deadline is looming in February, and the rumors are already swirling. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times recently noted that the front office might finally be ready to "shake things up." There’s been talk of serious conversations regarding Coby White. Whether they decide to sell high on veterans like Vučević or double down on the Giddey-White backcourt will define the second half of the season.
If you’re watching the record, pay attention to the upcoming schedule:
- January 14 vs. Utah: A home game they absolutely need to grab.
- January 16 @ Brooklyn: A road test against a team they should beat on paper.
- January 20 vs. LA Clippers: A measuring stick game against West Coast talent.
The Bulls are playing at the 3rd fastest pace in the NBA (102.1). They want to run. They want to score. If they can just find a way to stop someone—anyone—from scoring 120 points on them, that record is going to look a lot healthier by the time the All-Star break rolls around.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're tracking the Bulls this season, keep these benchmarks in mind to gauge if they're actually improving or just spinning their wheels:
- Watch the Defensive Rating: Currently, they are 24th in the league. If that number doesn't move into the top 18-20 range, the record will stay below .500.
- Road Performance: They need to get closer to a .400 win rate on the road to secure a Play-In spot.
- The "Giddey Factor": Monitor his assist-to-turnover ratio. He’s averaging 3.6 turnovers, which is high. Cutting that down by even one per game could be the difference in those close 3-point losses.
- Buzelis' Minutes: Watch how Billy Donovan uses the rookie. His development is the real "win" of this season, regardless of the final record.
The 2025-26 Chicago Bulls are a team in transition. They have the 60th-best history in the league, a legacy of greatness, and a current reality that is... well, complicated. Check the standings weekly, because in the East, everything changes after one Tuesday night in January.