The Chicago Bulls may have made a small move with a potentially bigger purpose.
With training camp creeping closer, the Windy City Bulls dealt for Drew Peterson from the Motor City Cruise, sending back the returning player rights to Lucas Williamson and Taylor Braun plus a 2027 NBA G League first-round pick that came via the Valley Suns. On the surface, it looks like the kind of transaction that barely registers. But in Chicago’s current setup, even a G League trade can hint at something more.
That’s especially true given how quickly new Bulls executive Bryson Graham has started reshaping the organization’s developmental side. He brought in a new G League GM, Josh Malone, and then made a coaching change, moving Billy Donovan III out and bringing Quincy Pondexter in as the next head coach. The pattern points toward a youth-focused approach, one that seems built around evaluating and developing talent differently than before.
Peterson fits that kind of bet. The 26-year-old went undrafted out of USC in the 2023 NBA Draft, then landed a two-way deal with the Boston Celtics. He stayed with Boston for two seasons and played in 25 games in his second year, also picking up a ring with the 2023-24 team.
His next stop was Charlotte, where he opened his third NBA season with the Hornets on a two-way contract. He played in six games before being waived in December of 2025, then finished the G League season with Motor City.
Once there, Peterson put together a solid all-around run. In 26 regular-season games with the Cruise, he averaged 14.9 points, 6.4 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals.
He wasn’t just filling a box score, either. His shooting from deep remained a calling card, and that kind of volume from the perimeter is hard to ignore for a Bulls team that lacks shooters.
Chicago’s roster still needs spacing, even if Graham has made clear he’s focused on building culture and structure first. But the reality is simple: good development usually starts with good basketball, and in today’s NBA, good basketball usually includes shooting.
Peterson’s three-point efficiency has moved around some, but the skill is real. He shot 40.4 percent on 10.4 attempts per night in 2024-25, a number that jumps off the page.
He also brings more than just a jumper. For his size, he’s a crafty ball-handler and passer, traits that line up with the Bulls’ apparent interest in versatile wings.
That matters because Chicago still has one two-way spot to hand out alongside Jaylin Sellers and Tobe Awaka. The team could leave that opening for a camp battle, but Peterson now looks like a serious candidate for it. His experience alone may give him an edge, and his shooting certainly won’t hurt.
It may be a minor transaction in the grand scheme, but the Bulls are in a place where their two-way players could matter more than they have in recent seasons. That makes this kind of move worth watching a little more closely than usual.
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