Curious NBA 2K26 rating can give Bulls fans a sliver of hope for this season
Chicago may not be stacked with offensive or defensive talent (which could present a few issues), but the Bulls apparently blow most NBA teams out of the water in one seemingly unquantifiable category: intangibles. Or at least in NBA 2K26, they do, as the popular video game has gifted Chicago the third-best "intangibles" rating of all 30 squads.
Coby White is Chicago's generally highest-rated player at 83 overall. Nikola Vucevic (82) and Josh Giddey (82, but still a restricted free agent) are the only other Bulls who top the 80 mark, with Matas Buzelis coming in just under, with a rating of 79.
Those four help boost Chicago's rank in one of the game's most obscure statistical categories -- along with another shocking name. But there's legitimate real-world evidence to back up the 2K developers' estimates.
The Bulls were one of the most clutch teams in the NBA last season
It's important to define exactly what intangibles are in 2K26. Per the game's website: "The Intangibles attribute determines a player's overall impact on the game that isn't easily quantified by standard attributes. It measures elements like a player's toughness, ability to perform under pressure, and effectiveness in clutch situations or critical possessions."
Buzelis boasts the Bulls' highest intangibles rating with a 90. Vucevic sits at 85, White at 75 and Giddey at 70.
Mind-bogglingly, Patrick Williams is one of the team's most clutch players with a rating of 80. Who would you rather give the ball to with the game on the line, right?
But these numbers don't come out of nowhere. Head coach Billy Donovan's squad was wildly adept at coming from behind to pull out wins last season. Per NBA.com's clutch stats (clutch time is defined as the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the score is within five points), Chicago was one of the most efficient teams in the league.
The Bulls played in 34 games that were decided in the clutch last season. Their 11.7 net rating was fifth-best in the NBA, and they had, surprisingly, the fourth-best defensive rating (101.9). When things got tight, Chicago locked down on that end of the floor. The Bulls were also the second-best rebounding team and were sixth in effective field goal percentage and true shooting percentage. They scored 8.3 points per game in those situations while holding their opponents to 7.7.
There's a decent chance that group of five received a higher rating in the intangibles category just to give them an overall boost. That may be true of Williams more than anyone else. But there's valid reasoning behind the numbers, and maybe that evidence will carry over to this season and help the Bulls win a few extra games, which could mean the difference in another Play-In spot or a berth in the actual playoffs.
Dodgers Predicted to Sign Top MLB Free Agent After 2025 Season
Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman
The Los Angeles Dodgers have notoriously been one of the top spenders in MLB for several years now. They showed that at the beginning of 2025, they signed many top free agents to improve their roster.
However, that has not led them to become the juggernaut team many analysts and executives thought they would be. Los Angeles is 79-64 and will likely not reach the 90-win mark with just 20 games left this regular season.
Whatever the Dodgers do in the postseason, one MLB Insider believes they will sign the top free agent after 2025.
Dodgers Predicted to Sign Kyle Tucker
The Chicago Cubs’ slugger is having a rough last two months of the season, but is still considered the top free agent.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale believes it will be to the Los Angeles Dodgers:
“Rival executives still believe he’ll be the highest-paid player in free agency,” Bob Nightengale reported Monday. “Their prediction where he’ll land? The Dodgers, who badly could use outfield help.”
The Dodgers could use outfield help, but signing Tucker to say, $400 million would put them far over the luxury tax. But it would address a much-needed positional issue. Los Angeles signed Michael Conforto to a one-year, $17 million deal before the season, and he has looked like a massive bust the entire season.
Conforto still isn’t above the .200 average mark, despite playing in 124 games. His OPS is 77, well below league average. The Dodgers also traded for left fielder Alex Call back in July, and he hasn’t had much production either. Signing Kyle Tucker in free agency is right up the Dodgers’ wheelhouse.
Although Tucker has struggled for the past few months, he’s still had a solid season. Kyle Tucker still has 22 home runs and an OPS+ of 140.
Kyle Tucker Has So Many Accolades As a Player
Bleacher Report recently came out with a prediction piece about Kyle Tucker’s free agency, and it showed how tenured he is as a player:
“After all, Tucker’s resume includes a World Series title, four All-Star selections, a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove. He led the league in RBI in 2023 when he was with the Houston Astros and has hit more than 20 home runs in each of the last five seasons. While he hasn’t been himself since the All-Star break with a .242 batting average, five home runs and 17 RBI, some of that can be explained by injury concerns. And he still has solid overall numbers this season with a .270/.381/.472 slash line, 22 home runs and 73 RBI. Tucker is also just 28 years old, which is another reason he will surely command a significant deal this offseason.”
The next question is how much the Dodgers would pay him, and that will be up to Tucker’s agent.
Fans of other MLB teams would not be happy with the Dodgers making a big-money signing like this, but it would put a lot of pressure on the Cubs to attempt to dish out a higher AAV contract. Tucker’s free agency will be one of the highest-anticipated events this offseason.
