The Hawks’ move for Lu Dort is the kind of deal the Bulls should have been chasing.
Atlanta pulled off a three-team trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks, landing Dort and Ryan Nembhard. Dallas got Zaccharie Risacher, while Oklahoma City came away with three second-round picks and, just as importantly, cap relief.
For Chicago, though, the bigger takeaway is what it missed out on. With Caleb Wilson expected to be the centerpiece of the Bulls’ next chapter, a player like Dort would have fit the moment perfectly.
Wilson is the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and his Summer League showing hinted at the kind of future face of the franchise the Bulls hope he can become. He still has plenty of ground to cover before getting there, but Chicago has already started building around him.
That’s why Dort makes so much sense in this conversation. He brings a hard-edged, no-nonsense style and lives on the defensive end. He plays with force, embraces the physical stuff, and never backs away from confrontation.
Those traits matter for a team trying to shape its identity around a young star. A player like Dort could have helped establish the tone in Chicago as the Wilson era gets underway.
The Bulls are in a rebuild, but they’ve also taken steps this summer to avoid sinking all the way to the bottom. Chicago traded for Nicolas Claxton to shore up the center spot and signed Norman Powell in free agency. A lineup of Josh Giddey, Powell, Matas Buzelis, Wilson, and Claxton has at least given the roster some shape.
Still, the Bulls should have been in the mix for Dort. Maybe they made a run and it fell apart.
Maybe they never got close. Either way, this was the kind of player they needed to pursue.
Dort would have been a strong addition for Chicago. Instead, he’s headed to Atlanta, where he’ll be part of the Hawks’ latest move.
In Other News...
Caleb Wilson Is Giving Bulls Fans A Reason To Believe
While the 76ers were busy adding pieces that fit around the margins, the Bulls got a different kind of early offseason buzz from rookie Caleb Wilson. His Summer League run gave Chicago something it can always use this time of year, a young player flashing real two-way promise and looking capable of becoming more than just a developmental name on the roster.
Wilson backed up the eye test with strong all-around production across four games, showing scoring punch, rebounding and shot-blocking while also stretching the floor from deep. He also pointed to free throw shooting as an area to clean up, but the bigger takeaway for Bulls fans is simpler: there is already a reason to keep watching him closely. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Just Turned A Draft Night Move Into A Rebuild Debate
The Bulls used the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft to add Caleb Wilson at No. 4 and Dailyn Swain, giving the front office a pair of young players to build around as the rebuild takes shape. But the bigger conversation around Chicagos draft night was not who it picked, but what it chose not to keep after the first round ended.
Both of the Bulls second-round selections were moved for cash considerations, a decision that drew plenty of scrutiny even as executive Bryson Graham defended the approach. In a league where teams like Oklahoma City have treated second-rounders as useful trade chips and roster-building tools, Chicagos decision has only sharpened the debate over how aggressively it should be stockpiling and using draft capital while trying to reset the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Bryson Graham May Have Found The Bulls Shooting Help They Need
Bryson Graham has earned a reputation for spotting players who can slip through the cracks, and that matters for a Bulls roster still looking for useful shooting and scoring help. One name worth watching is Jaylin Sellers, whose offensive profile already fits the kind of swing skill Chicago can use off the bench if he keeps building on the promise he showed in summer league.
Sellers arrived with a scoring rsum from Providence and then flashed enough in Las Vegas to stay on the radar, which is exactly the sort of path that can lead to real minutes for a team willing to mine for value. For the Bulls, the question is whether that production translates into a role this season, because if it does, Graham may have found another overlooked contributor. [Read more 🡒]