The Chicago Bulls have a chance to clean up one of their more awkward roster questions, and the Los Angeles Lakers may be the team willing to help.
Jalen Smith sits in that tricky middle ground for Chicago: useful enough to matter, pricey enough to spark debate. He’s on an expiring deal worth $9.5 million, and while the Bulls have reasons to like him, his fit with the team’s current direction is less clear.
With new decision-makers in the front office and coaching staff, plus Caleb Wilson now positioned as the face of the franchise, the Bulls’ focus should be on asset management and player development. That makes Smith a player they ought to think about moving, especially if a trade can bring back draft capital.
Dan Woike of The Athletic reported that the Lakers are monitoring the Bulls’ veteran PF/C. Woike wrote: "Smith has some fans within the organization because he plays with motor and has worked himself into a pretty good outside shooter," Woike wrote.
" But Smith is expensive (one-year, $9.5 million remaining on his deal) and undersized at 6 foot 8. The previous Bulls’ regime was a fan of his, which puts his actual availability into question."
There’s no question Smith has given Chicago real minutes. He didn’t arrive with the kind of buzz that usually sticks to former lottery picks, but he’s become a dependable rotation piece and has grown into a legitimate floor-spacer. Last season, he brought energy off the bench and gave the Bulls solid production in limited stretches.
The problem is the fit. Smith is still a tweener, and even with his improved shooting, his contract is more substantial than what you’d usually expect for a role like his.
That’s where the Lakers come in. They’ve already added their big man of the future in the Walker Kessler trade, but they still need more frontcourt muscle.
Smith could fill a P.J. Washington-type role next to Luka Doncic, bringing some bite on the boards and defense while also keeping the floor spaced with the occasional corner three.
Chicago shouldn’t expect a massive return. Smith’s expiring contract and salary make it unlikely the Bulls would land a haul.
Still, the alternative is watching him walk in free agency and getting nothing back. For a team trying to operate with discipline, that’s the wrong outcome.
The simplest path is the one that helps both sides: the Bulls move Smith now, and the Lakers get the frontcourt depth they’re still chasing.
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