A Bulls-Hawks deal could create the kind of reunion that makes too much sense to ignore, and it starts with Chicago’s front-office connection to Atlanta.
Bryson Graham knows the Hawks well. Before becoming the Bulls’ lead front-office executive, he spent the 2025 NBA offseason in Atlanta, where the Hawks hired him as senior vice president of basketball operations. That familiarity could matter if Chicago and Atlanta ever sit down to talk trade ideas.
The most intriguing name in that overlap is Lugentz Dort, whom the Hawks acquired via trade during the 2026 NBA offseason. Dort also comes with a built-in Bulls link: he spent three seasons alongside Josh Giddey with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
That connection gives Chicago a possible backcourt reunion to consider as it continues sorting out its future. Giddey has three seasons left on his contract entering the 2026-27 NBA season, and he is still on a relatively manageable $25 million per year. But the Bulls also need to determine sooner rather than later what their long-term starting backcourt looks like as Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis continue to develop on the wing.
Dort brings a different kind of value. He is extension-eligible, and he’s on a $17.7 million expiring contract for the 2026-27 season.
If Chicago doesn’t find a trade market for Noman Powell that brings back the draft capital it wants, Atlanta could be a logical partner. The Hawks might prefer to turn Dort into Powell to get more veteran guard minutes and add a more proven three-point threat. Chicago, meanwhile, would be getting a real point-of-attack defender who can handle different defensive assignments.
Of course, a Giddey-Dort starting backcourt would come with questions. It’s more of an experiment than a clean solution. Opposing defenses generally still treat both players like non-shooters, even with the progress each has made from deep.
In Giddey’s two seasons with the Bulls, he has shot 37.1% on 4.5 three-point attempts per game. Dort had his strongest stretch between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, when he shot 40.3% on 5.4 attempts per game, according to Basketball Reference.
Still, there is real upside in taking that swing if the Bulls want to build a tougher defensive identity. One guard would bring elite on-ball defense, while the other offers value through defensive rebounding that doesn’t always get enough attention.
Tiago Splitter could also have ways to ease the offensive fit. One option would be using Giddey in inverted ball-screen actions so he can operate as a short-roll passer. Another would be making Dort the designated Iverson cutter in the offense to help create space or uncover cleaner looks.
If Chicago made that pairing work, it could either lift the defense in a major way or give Graham a clearer answer on whether Giddey belongs in the Bulls’ long-term plans.
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For Chicago, the bigger question is how much freedom Buzelis gets to explore that part of his game as he continues to grow into a more complete scorer. Midrange work is not usually the first thing teams prioritize in todays spacing-heavy league, but it can still matter when a young player needs another way to keep defenders off balance and force them to react differently on the next possession. [Read more 🡒]