The Chicago Bulls are still in the early stages of building around Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis, but next season could bring a very different kind of roster conversation. If the front office wants to collect more draft picks or younger talent, a few familiar names could quickly move from part of the core to trade chips.
Wilson is not going anywhere, and the Bulls almost certainly aren’t moving Buzelis, either. Beyond those two, though, almost everybody else has to be viewed through a trade lens.
Some players bring value because of their contracts. Others could draw interest because they fit a specific need around the league.
Either way, Chicago has reasons to keep the phones open.
Jalen Smith stands out first, and not because of any concern about his game. He’s a quality player who could be a strong backup center, and his ability to play both the four and the five only adds to his appeal. The big reason he lands here is simple: he’s on an expiring contract and makes $9.4 million, which makes him an easy target for teams looking for frontcourt help.
Tre Jones is another name worth watching, even though he isn’t on an expiring deal. His contract includes a team option for the 2027-28 season, which can be just as useful in trade talks. Jones has become pretty underrated, but his value is easy to see - he handles the ball well, creates for others, attacks the rim, and carries an $8 million salary that teams can absorb without much trouble.
Norman Powell is in a different category because he just signed, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be moved. His contract is highly tradable, with $21.5 million due this season and a $22.8 million team option for 2027-28. He was on the edge of being an All-Star last season for the Miami Heat, and in the right environment, his scoring could give a contender exactly what it needs.
Nicolas Claxton also fits the profile of a player with real trade value. His deal is favorable, even without a team option in 2027-28.
He’ll make $23.3 million this year and $21.1 million the following season. Chicago may be more likely to hold onto him through the year, but if he performs well, the Bulls could decide to cash in on that value.
Isaac Okoro rounds out the list. He hasn’t really established himself yet, and his offense remains a weakness, but he still has a market because of what he can do on defense.
With an $11.8 million expiring contract, he could appeal to a team that wants a specialist and doesn’t mind the risk. If it doesn’t pan out, that team could simply let him go.
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A proposed four-team trade has the Lakers, Hawks, Bulls and Nets all swapping picks, players and trade exceptions, with Los Angeles trying to land Jonathan Kuminga as a long-term starter. The framework is the kind of sprawling deal that only works when every front office sees a path to value, and Chicagos role in it is less about star chasing and more about extracting something useful from a complicated piece of transaction math.
For the Bulls, the appeal comes in the form of an under-the-radar return that could help around the margins while the bigger names in the deal dominate the headline. Chicago is not the team going after Kuminga, but it would come out of the setup with a young wing and a little added flexibility, the sort of outcome that can matter on a roster still sorting out what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Just Reached A Crucial Point With Rob Dillingham
The Bulls broader evaluation of their young core has naturally put Rob Dillingham back in focus, especially as the organization weighs first-rounders Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain alongside Matas Buzelis and the guard they brought in with the Ayo Dosunmu trade. Dillingham showed flashes in his first run with Chicago last season, averaging 9.6 points, 3 rebounds and 2.8 assists over 30 games, but he never quite settled into a steady rotation role, which has left his long-term fit very much open to interpretation.
Chicago appears ready to answer at least part of that question next season by expanding Dillinghams minutes and giving him a longer look in a more meaningful role. With two years still left on his rookie contract, the 2026-27 season feels like a key checkpoint for a player whose talent is evident but whose place in the Bulls backcourt picture remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Norman Powell Just Raised The Stakes For This Bulls Season
The Bulls offseason has already given the roster a different look, with Caleb Wilson arriving as the No. 4 pick in the NBA Draft and Norman Powell coming aboard on a two-year contract as a proven scoring option. It is the kind of summer that invites bigger expectations, especially for a team trying to move past a run of limited postseason success and reset the tone around the franchise.
Powell has already framed the season in blunt terms, saying this group could go in either direction and stressing that the answer has to come from within, not from outside skepticism. For Chicago, that makes the coming months feel less like a transition and more like a test of belief, and the schedule for the 2026-27 season is set to arrive soon with the first real measuring stick for how high this group can aim. [Read more 🡒]