The Ja Morant blockbuster has already sent a jolt through the NBA, and one of the biggest aftershocks may land in Chicago. Portland’s deal with Memphis leaves the Trail Blazers suddenly crowded in the backcourt, and that could open the door for the Bulls to circle Shaedon Sharpe as a less expensive fallback if Peyton Watson proves too hard to get.
Portland sent Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to Memphis in the swap, then found itself with a guard group that now includes Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday, Morant and Sharpe. That’s a lot of talent, and it’s hard to imagine all of it sticking together once the 2026-27 season arrives. For a Bulls team that should be pushing hard for Watson, that kind of squeeze could create an opportunity.
Sharpe would not be a one-for-one replacement for Watson, but he gives Chicago a real Plan B. The 23-year-old has steadily climbed as a scorer since entering the league as the No. 7 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Last season, he put up 20.8 points per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field, and he added 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He also played a key role in helping Portland outplay expectations and reach the first round of the playoffs under now-Bulls coach Tiago Splitter.
There’s still upside left here, too. Sharpe already has four NBA seasons behind him, but he’s only 23 and just turned that age a month ago. His path to the league was unusual: he arrived at Kentucky as the top recruit in his class, but never played a game for the Wildcats.
Watson remains the cleaner fit for Chicago if the Bulls can make it happen. The Nuggets wing has become one of the league’s better young 3-and-D players, and his 2025-26 numbers showed why: 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.0 stocks while shooting 41.1 percent from deep.
He’s also a restricted free agent, which means Denver can make life difficult if Chicago tries to pry him loose. The Nuggets are already looking for ways to create cap space to keep him.
Sharpe, by comparison, is tied to a four-year, $90 million deal through 2029-30. He and Watson are both 23 and still trending up, and Splitter’s previous connection with Sharpe is at least a small plus.
After taking a huge swing on Morant, Portland now has more guards than it needs. If the Bulls miss on Watson, Sharpe could be sitting there as the next-best answer.
In Other News...
Bulls Just Made Their First Truly Unsettling Rebuild Decision
Bryson Grahams first draft with the Bulls had a clear front-end plan. Chicago used its first-round picks on Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain, giving the new lead executive two young pieces to shape into part of the next core while the franchise continues sorting out what the rebuild is supposed to become.
The part that lingers is how the Bulls handled the rest of the board, especially with shooting still sitting near the top of the rosters needs. Around the league, teams were able to turn useful rotation players like Isaiah Joe and Isaiah Stewart into draft capital, the kind of moves that at least hint at value extraction during a reset. Chicago, though, is still facing the bigger question of whether it is collecting enough assets to accelerate this process or simply leaving opportunities on the table while the roster waits for help through free agency or trade. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Fans Are Split Over One Patrick Williams Trade Idea
With the Bucks sliding into a rebuild phase, trade chatter is already circling around the kind of movable contracts that can help a reshaped roster take form. One of the speculative ideas floating around links Chicago to a larger Milwaukee-centered shuffle, with the Bulls framed as a team trying to find a cleaner fit and a more flexible path forward while other teams sort through salary, draft capital and future roster plans.
For Bulls fans, the debate comes down to whether moving on from Patrick Williams in that kind of scenario would be worth the cost. The logic is straightforward enough: Chicago would be trying to clear a contract it has struggled to slot into place while adding a player who might be easier to move later and better suited to what the team wants to look like. Still, the proposal is only one piece of a wider set of hypothetical deals, and the real question is whether the Bulls would actually be willing to take that swing. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls May Be Closing In On A Move Fans Will Debate
Chicagos offseason flexibility has put the Bulls in position to poke around on a move that would make immediate sense on paper, especially with a roster that still needs more shooting. League chatter has pointed to a veteran guard who can help fill that gap, and the fit is easy enough to see for a team with cap room and a clear need for reliable scoring on the perimeter.
The wrinkle is that Chicago is not alone in the pursuit, with Miami and Detroit also in the mix as the Bulls weigh how aggressively to use what remains of their spending power. If the front office does decide to make a push, it would be the kind of signing that says plenty about how the Bulls want to use the rest of their cap space, and why this one could split the fan base before any paperwork is even signed. [Read more 🡒]