The Chicago Bulls are sitting in that awkward NBA middle ground again - not obviously good enough to chase a playoff spot with confidence, but not built like a team eager to dive into a youth movement, either. That leaves them with a familiar front-office puzzle: decide what direction to take, then make the roster work for that plan.
One of the cleanest ways for Chicago to do that could be exploring the trade market for Tre Jones.
If the Bulls decide to put him on the block, Jones might be one of the most underrated trade candidates in the league. He just finished the best season of his pro career, and the numbers explain why his value is appealing.
Jones averaged 14.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 55.3 percent from the field and committing only 1.4 turnovers per night. For a point guard, that’s efficient, controlled production - the kind of profile that tends to get noticed.
That production also makes this the right moment for Chicago to think about cashing in. Jones will turn 27 on Jan. 8, which puts him in his prime but also makes him a little misaligned with the timeline of a team that does not appear to be fully built to win right now. The Bulls may talk one way, but their roster looks like it needs a reset.
There’s also the market angle. Jones carries a manageable $8 million annual salary, and his contract includes a team option for 2027-28. That gives any acquiring team some useful control, which should only increase interest if Chicago decides to test the waters.
Then there’s the basketball fit. Jones and Josh Giddey are both ball-dominant guards, and neither one is known as a major floor spacer. That can make the pairing tricky, especially when both players are at their best with the ball in their hands.
None of that says Jones has done anything wrong. It just means the Bulls may be better off treating him like an asset while his value is high. In a season where Chicago’s direction is still cloudy, that’s the kind of move that at least makes sense.
In Other News...
Leonard Miller Is Giving Bulls A Frontcourt Decision To Make
Leonard Miller made the kind of preseason statement that can complicate a frontcourt picture fast. In Chicagos 133-128 loss to Denver at Ball Arena, the young big man came off the bench and looked anything like a fringe piece, giving the Bulls a lively scoring punch while the rest of the offense also found some rhythm from deep. The night had plenty of the usual preseason context, but Millers energy and production stood out in a game where Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic carried the Nuggets enough to escape with the win.
For a Bulls team still sorting out how its big-man rotation should look, that performance mattered more than the final score. Chicago hit shots from three-point range and stayed in the fight, but the game was also a reminder of how messy preseason can get when whistles pile up and the line becomes a problem. Miller gave the coaching staff something tangible to think about, and after a night like that, the decision around the frontcourt suddenly feels less straightforward than it did before tipoff. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Head To Denver With A Growing Depth Concern
The Bulls head into their first preseason road test in Denver already managing the kind of availability issues that can make this time of year feel a little thinner than it should. Chicago is set to face a Nuggets group that could feature former Bull DeMar DeRozan, and the trip comes with several roster complications as the team continues sorting out rotation looks and backup minutes.
Tre Jones, Jaylin Sellers, Zach Collins and Jalen Smith are all expected to sit, leaving Chicago with fewer bodies than it would like for a preseason matchup that still matters for evaluation. Matas Buzelis is also listed as a game-time decision because of an ankle injury, adding another layer of uncertainty to a Bulls group that is trying to get healthy enough to take advantage of these road reps. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls May Be Forced Into An Unusual Answer At Center
Chicagos preseason has already been shaped by a string of health issues, with Zach Collins, Nic Claxton, Tre Jones, Jaylin Sellers and Jalen Smith all dealing with injuries at one point or another. None of the concerns are viewed as long-term, but the Bulls have been forced to think a little differently about how they want to handle the middle of the floor while Tiago Splitter sorts through a lineup that still has plenty of moving parts.
Splitter has pointed to both the injury situation and the teams up-tempo approach as reasons the center spot may need a different kind of distribution than usual. The result could be an unusual rotation plan as Chicago tries to keep its big men fresh and available, while also making sure the pace the Bulls want to play does not leave the frontcourt exposed early in the season. [Read more 🡒]