The Bulls are already living in the trade rumor lane, and Jalen Smith is the latest name to get tossed around.
That was always part of the deal once Chicago started over. New front office leader Bryson Graham has made it clear the franchise is open for business, and the roster reflects that mindset.
The Bulls brought in veterans on movable deals this past offseason, including Norman Powell, Buddy Hield, and Nic Claxton, the kind of players who naturally pop up in trade chatter. They can help a young group right now, but they also look like pieces the team could move if the right offer comes along.
The noise figures to get louder after Chicago stumbled out to a 1-8 start. That doesn’t mean a deal is right around the corner, but it does mean the phones will be busy and the trade machines will be working overtime.
ESPN has already jumped into the conversation with a midseason idea that would send Smith to the Lakers as part of a frontcourt upgrade. It’s not the first time Smith has surfaced in speculation, and it won’t be the last after the way he has opened the season. But the package ESPN floated - Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks - is exactly the kind of return that should make Chicago pause.
Smith has been on the radar as a trade candidate since last season, when he carved out a role as a productive reserve and showed real versatility at both the four and the five. At $9.0 million, he was already the type of contract that could draw interest. Now he’s making about $500,000 more, and as an expiring deal he’s playing the best basketball of his career.
The 26-year-old was pushed into the starting lineup after Nic Claxton suffered a hamstring strain in training camp, and he has handled the job well despite the team’s record. Per Dunks & Threes, Smith owns the highest Estimated Plus-Minus on the roster.
His numbers back up the eye test. Smith is putting up 11.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.
His three-point shooting hasn’t matched last season’s 29.5 percent mark, but there’s reason to think that will climb again. Around the basket, he’s been excellent, hitting 71.8 percent of his two-point attempts, a career best.
He also fits the way this Bulls team wants to play, especially with forwards like Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis in the mix. Smith runs the floor, stretches the defense, and makes quick decisions with the ball. Those traits would make him useful almost anywhere, which is why more trade proposals are likely coming.
Chicago should listen to everything, especially with a front office trying to avoid the mistakes of the previous regime. But this season is also about identifying who belongs in the long-term picture, and Smith is making that case.
That’s why a return built around second-round picks and a throwaway player should not be enough. If a first-round pick or another young building block is on the table, then the Bulls have something to discuss. Anything less should push the conversation closer to an extension than a trade.
For Graham and his staff, that’s the balancing act. The temptation to keep reshaping the roster is obvious, but moving a useful player just to make a move would be a mistake. Chicago has time, and that patience may end up being its best leverage.
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