Kendrick Perkins Called the Bulls the Kings of the East. He Might Have a Point.

The Chicago Bulls have been wandering through NBA purgatory for years now. Not bad enough to bottom out, not good enough to matter. ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins took that idea and ran with it, comparing the Bulls to the Sacramento Kings during a segment on NBA on ESPN. And honestly? It stings because it’s not far off.

“The Chicago Bulls have been … the Sacramento Kings of the Eastern Conference,” Perkins said, flanked by colleagues Malik Andrews and Jamal Collier.

Collier had just published a deep dive for ESPN on Chicago’s recent slide from relevance. That article laid out the same grim picture: a franchise stuck in neutral, making moves that feel like progress but never actually getting anywhere.

Why the comparison actually works

The Kings and Bulls have swapped players like trading cards over the last few years. Sacramento grabbed Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan from Chicago in a deal that felt like both teams were just shuffling deck chairs. Neither roster looked dramatically better after it.

Both franchises are now betting on youth. The Bulls are building around Caleb Wilson, the No. 4 pick in the 2026 draft, along with Dailyn Swain, Matas Buzelis, and Josh Giddey. The Kings are leaning on Keegan Murray, Devin Carter, and Dylan Cardwell. Young cores, unproven ceilings, similar vibes.

Here’s where it gets uncomfortable for Chicago: the Bulls went 31-51 last season. The Kings went 22-60. That’s worse, sure, but neither team is sniffing real contention. Chicago hasn’t made the playoffs since 2022. Sacramento last saw postseason action in 2023. Both franchises are stuck in that ugly middle ground where you’re good enough to lose in the Play-In but bad enough to never scare anyone.

Injuries and inconsistency have been the real killers

It’s not just one thing either. Both teams have been hit hard by injuries year after year. Lineups never settle. Chemistry never sticks. You look at the Bulls and see guys who can’t stay on the floor together long enough to build anything. Same story in Sacramento.

Perkins’ comment is blunt and maybe a little harsh. But he’s not making stuff up. The Bulls have earned this comparison through years of being just okay. And in the NBA, being just okay is the worst thing you can be.

New front office leadership under Bryson Graham has brought hope, sure. Wilson and Swain look like real pieces. But hope doesn’t fix a roster that’s been directionless for half a decade. The Kings comparison lands because both teams are asking the same question: when does this rebuild actually turn into something real?