The Chicago Bulls finally got Bryson Graham’s first trade across the finish line on July 10, and the move says a lot about where this roster is right now: flexible, unfinished, and still searching for a clear identity.
The deal itself had been in motion since June 22, when Chicago jumped into a three-team blockbuster that sent Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets and brought Nic Claxton to the Bulls. Because the Bulls had the cap space to absorb Claxton’s $23.3 million salary, they were able to land a starting-caliber big man without really giving up anything meaningful in return.
The only wrinkle was Mouhamadou Gueye’s non-guaranteed contract, which had to be included to satisfy league rules and could not be traded until July 9. That delay stretched the process out even further, and the final version of the transaction eventually expanded into a four-team deal with Charlotte taking on Gueye.
Now that it’s official, Claxton gives Chicago a much-needed presence in the middle. He becomes the second-highest paid player on the team behind Josh Giddey, who is set to make $25.0 million. The rest of the cap sheet includes Norman Powell at $21.5 million, Patrick Williams at $18.0 million, Isaac Okoro at $11.8 million, Caleb Wilson at $10.7 million, Jalen Smith at $9.4 million, Zach Collins at $8.5 million, Tre Jones at $8.0 million, Rob Dillingham at $6.9 million, Matas Buzelis at $5.7 million, Noa Essengue at $5.7 million, Dailyn Swain at $5.0 million, and Leonard Miller at $2.4 million.
That leaves the Bulls with 14 contracts on the books for the 2026-27 season, meaning they have one roster spot left to fill before late-October. They also still have the $9.4 million room exception available.
In a broader sense, the Claxton move fits the way Graham has operated so far: use the financial flexibility, make a sensible addition, and keep the bigger picture open. Claxton is only under contract for one more year, so this is not the kind of move that locks Chicago into a long-term answer at center. It’s more of a calculated step than a finished statement.
When the trade first surfaced, it looked like a clear win for the Bulls. An A- made sense at the time, especially with Chicago giving up nothing for a capable starter while still sitting on more than $30 million in cap space.
With free agency mostly settled now, that enthusiasm cools a bit. The move still grades as a B, not because it became a bad trade, but because the full picture is less dazzling than the initial rush.
There’s still plenty to like. Chicago was opportunistic.
It found a player who can help set a more physical, defense-first tone for Tiago Splitter’s team. And if Claxton gets back to the version of himself who was one of the league’s elite rim protectors and a highly efficient finisher, the Bulls could wind up with a real asset on their hands, either as a trade chip or as someone worth keeping.
But there’s also a reason for caution. Claxton has not looked the same over the last couple of seasons, especially around the rim as a scorer and rebounder.
Maybe the environment in Brooklyn played a role. Maybe injuries have taken something out of him athletically.
Either way, Chicago is not bringing him into a finished product.
That’s part of why the trade feels more practical than exciting. The Bulls have also played it safe elsewhere, adding Norman Powell and re-signing Zach Collins to similar two-year deals with team options.
They could have chased a restricted free agent, looked harder for a salary-dump opportunity, or taken a swing on a different kind of value play. Deals for Isaiah Stewart and Isaiah Joe also offer a comparison point, since both came at a lower cost, with second-round picks and cheaper contracts, while still addressing a need.
In the end, though, Chicago made a reasonable move for a team that is still being built. It may not feel quite as like a steal as it did on day one, but it still looks better than plenty of the decisions made by the previous regime.
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What makes the set interesting now is how uneven the market has been around it. Some of the key cards and stickers have posted eye-catching sales in recent years, while others have cooled off after earlier spikes, which has kept collectors watching the set closely instead of treating it like a finished story. The second-year Jordan base card and the sticker subset still sit at the center of that conversation, and the latest movement has only added to the sense that this old Fleer issue is not done making noise. [Read more 🡒]