A Trade for the Chicago Bulls is Becoming a Matter of When, Not If

The Chicago Bulls sound ready to make some noise with the NBA trade deadline a little over a week away.

More rumors than inches of snow have hit the city this winter, tying the franchise to everything from an Anthony Davis pursuit to a full-blown tank job. With that said, exactly which path they will take has remained somewhat unclear. Arturas Karnisovas' front office has long kept things close to the vest, and he has also long preferred to avoid a true sell-off. We need to look no further than three consecutive Play-In Tournament appearances to see precisely that.

For what it's worth, the consensus seems to be that the organization should take another step backward. Still very much in need of a superstar talent, taking a chance on young players or future draft picks is arguably the best way to fill that hole.

Nevertheless, in its simplest form, doing something at this deadline is at least better than doing nothing. Before the Bulls decided to trade Zach LaVine one season ago, they went three full years without making an in-season trade. Yes, you read that right. This lack of aggressiveness and direction has sent them headfirst into mediocrity. The only way to break out of that cycle is to pick a new approach.

To the Bulls' potential credit, they finally seem to realize that.

Is a Trade inevitable for the Chicago Bulls?

Coby White of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 22, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) drives to the basket past Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) in the second half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Marc Stein of The Stein Line provided an important update (paywall) this weekend on the current state of the NBA trade market. While he may not have been able to provide specifics on a possible Bulls deal, he emphasized that the organization is expected to be an active participant at this deadline.

More specifically, Stein called the Bulls "eager" to do business, as they recognize the uncomfortable situation they are in with seven players headed for free agency this summer. The last thing they want to do is see multiple worthwhile contributors leave for nothing in return, particularly players such as Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu.

K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network reiterated this point during his discussion with Fox 32 Chicago on Monday afternoon. He also referenced Arturas Karnisovas' messaging on Media Day, where the front office leader notably avoided declaring the postseason a goal for this year. This immediately suggested that the Bulls could take a more methodical approach with their team-building this season.

“They’re not going to make a trade just to make a trade. But they are open to taking calls, and if the right opportunity presents itself where you can add some young talent or some draft picks and get rid of one of those expiring contracts, so you safeguard against losing them for nothing, that’s something you got to look at," Johnson shared with Tina Nguyen.

Once again, this front office's track record has made it hard to know which avenue they will take come February 5. However, if we tie Stein's recent reporting in with Johnson's commentary, it does feel like they are open to the path most fans seem to prefer. The plan sounds as if it is to prioritize future assets over immediate contributions.

Now, prioritizing that and accomplishing that are two completely different things. Especially when we consider that White and Dosunmu are both owed significant raises this summer, it could be hard for the Bulls to convince a team to give up an unprotected or lightly protected first-rounder. The same can be said about convincing them to fork over one of their most valuable young players. It's going to take some master negotiating. Did I just hear a collective gulp?

The good news is that the Bulls may have seen their leverage grow over the last handful of days. Many of the biggest names expected to be on the move this deadline have recently fallen into some serious injury trouble. We also shouldn't ignore the fact that the Bulls are on a four-game win streak and receiving some really strong play from players like White, Dosunmu, Huerter, and Vucevic (as well as Tre Jones, when he was healthy). Lack of available big-name talent and improved play is an excellent recipe for increased trade value!

Anyway, for more on all of that, I will direct your attention to our post from this weekend. We wrote a lot more about why the Bulls' trade leverage could be growing by the day. Whether they can maximize this opportunity will remain the key question, but it sure sounds like they will finally give it a try over the next week.