The Bulls may have a path back to a familiar face in the frontcourt, and it starts with a Mavericks roster squeeze.
Dallas kept center Moussa Cissé in the fold by matching an offer sheet from the New York Knicks, a move that could leave Daniel Gafford on the outside looking in. The Knicks had targeted the 6-foot-11 Cissé to help cover for Mitchell Robinson, who left for Boston, but Dallas chose to retain the undrafted free agent it signed last summer.
Cissé’s rookie season gave Dallas a reason to believe in a bigger role ahead. He posted 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, and his presence now adds another body to a Mavericks big-man mix that already includes Dereck Lively II, Santi Aldama and rookie Morez Johnson Jr. That crowded picture is why Gafford has become a name to watch.
League insider Marc Stein reported that the Mavericks are " still fielding offers" for the 27-year-old. If Dallas keeps shopping him, Chicago should be paying attention.
The Bulls could use the help. They brought in Nic Claxton from the Brooklyn Nets earlier this offseason, but the center depth behind him is thin.
Zach Collins was re-signed in free agency, yet he appeared in only 10 games last season because of a toe injury. His deal is also considered tradeable.
Beyond that, Chicago’s options at the position are limited to Jalen Smith, who can slide into a small-ball five role but fits better at power forward, plus Caleb Wilson, Noa Essengue and Leonard Miller.
A return to Chicago would bring Gafford back to the team that drafted him 38th overall in 2019. Across seven NBA seasons, he has averaged 9.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 70.2 percent from the field. More recently, over the 2024-25 and 25-26 seasons between Washington and Dallas, he put up 11.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.9 blocks per game.
That kind of production would be a clear upgrade over Collins, and it would give the Bulls a sturdier defensive backbone next to Claxton. With both on the floor, Chicago would at least have one elite rim protector out there at all times.
The obstacle is money. Gafford is in the first year of a three-year, $54.4 million extension he signed with Dallas last July, and Chicago has already taken on the $44 million owed to Claxton over the next two seasons while also signing Norman Powell in free agency. That said, the Bulls do have some room to work with: Collins is essentially on an $8.5 million expiring contract, and Powell’s deal is only guaranteed for this season.
In Other News...
Bryson Graham May Have Found The Bulls Shooting Help They Need
Bryson Graham has already shown a knack for spotting players who can outplay their draft slot, and the Bulls are again looking in that direction as they sort through the edges of the roster. Jaylin Sellers is one of the names worth watching after a strong college run and a summer league showing that suggested he can bring real scoring punch, the kind of skill set that can matter on a team still looking for reliable shooting.
For Chicago, the appeal is pretty straightforward: Sellers does not need the ball to be productive, and his shot-making could help him fit alongside the pieces already in place. If he keeps building on that promise, he has a chance to become one of those overlooked contributors who ends up forcing his way into the rotation before long. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Just Turned A Draft Night Move Into A Rebuild Debate
The Bulls draft night started with real promise when they landed Caleb Wilson fourth overall and added Dailyn Swain in the first round, giving the front office at least a pair of young players to sell as part of the next phase. But the bigger conversation in Chicago quickly shifted away from the top of the board and toward what the team did with its second-round capital, because those picks often become the kind of low-cost swings rebuilding teams need to keep taking.
Instead, Chicago moved both of its second-round selections for cash considerations, a decision that drew immediate pushback even with executive Bryson Graham defending the approach. The contrast with Oklahoma City was hard to miss, since the Thunder have made a habit of stockpiling second-rounders as part of a broader talent pipeline, and it leaves the Bulls with a familiar question hanging over the rebuild: are they treating draft assets like tools, or like something easier to clear off the table? [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Land In Another Lakers Trade Idea With One Intriguing Catch
The Bulls have popped up again in a Lakers trade concept, this time as the third team in a proposal floated by NBA insider Jake Weinbach. The framework would shuffle P.J. Washington to Los Angeles and send Jarred Vanderbilt plus draft compensation to Dallas, while Chicagos role would be to help balance the money and add a young piece to its own side of the ledger.
For a Bulls front office that has spent plenty of time weighing flexibility against long-term upside, that kind of deal is at least easy to understand. The catch is whether Chicago would view the return as enough to justify stepping into a transaction built largely around the Lakers and Mavericks getting what they need, especially with the draft sweetener attached to its side of the deal still part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]