INSTANT GRADE: Chicago Bulls Send Dalen Terry to New York Knicks for Vet Big Man

Is anyone else scratching their head?

The Chicago Bulls' latest trade deadline move differs pretty drastically from the first few. After adding multiple second-round draft picks and young players on expiring deals, Arturas Karnisovas has brought in a veteran big man in a one-for-one player swap with the New York Knicks. ESPN's Shams Charania reported the trade late Wednesday night.

Bulls get: Guerschon Yabusele
Knicks get: Dalen Terry

The 30-year-old Guerschon Yabusele is in his first season with the New York Knicks after spending the 2024-25 campaign with the Philadelphia 76ers. He signed with the team on a two-year, $11.3 million deal this past offseason. Before this recent NBA run, he spent five years overseas after playing two years with the Boston Celtics in 2017-18 and 2018-19. A strong run with Team France in the 2024 Summer Olympics earned him this latest NBA stint.

As for Dalen Terry, he is in the final year of his rookie deal and headed toward restricted free agency in the coming months. The Bulls selected the forward with the No. 18 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Grading the Chicago Bulls' Dalen Terry Trade

Dalen Terry of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry (7) warms up before the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Thus far, the Chicago Bulls have prioritized future draft picks, young players, and financial flexibility. This trade is in direct contradiction to all of that.

Guerschon Yabusele currently has a $5.8 million player option for the 2026-27 campaign, while Dalen Terry was headed for restricted free agency. In other words, this is the first transaction where the Bulls have decided to add future money, and they did so for a player who recently entered his 30s and has had a remarkably underwhelming season.

While Yabusele has appeared in 41 games this season, he's averaged a mere 8.9 minutes of action with 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. He's also shot a highly concerning 39.3 percent from the field. To be sure, Terry wasn't producing a much better stat line. The swingman was on the outside looking in of the rotation for much of the season, and the Bulls felt likely to let him walk this summer. He would have been a restricted free agent, but whether or not they would even extend him a qualifying offer felt like a reasonable question.

At the same time, wouldn't the Bulls have rather had the open roster spot and slightly increased financial flexibility? The only explanation is that Karnisovas sees a path toward legitimate playing time for Yabusele moving forward – playing time that will be taken away from a possibly younger asset. And, well, that is perplexing.

Yabusele did at least have a very solid 2024-25 campaign with Philly, averaging 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in his 27.1 minutes a night. It's why the Knicks were so keen on signing him this summer as they looked to bolster their depth. With that in mind, the Bulls may be hoping that they can tap back into that version of Yabusele and potentially increase his trade value for this summer or next season.

Still, when compared to the other moves the Bulls were making, this one puts into question their motives moving forward. They may have needed another big on the roster to finish out the year, but why target one with future money? Better yet, why do so at the expense of a 23-year-old who could have finally gotten more playing time over the next month and a half? Also, the Bulls couldn't even muster a second-rounder for taking on the worst contract? They just helped an Eastern Conference contender clean some money off the future books. They had all the leverage.

I understand that some are going to brush off this trade. Terry wasn't working in Chicago, and the Bulls needed frontcourt depth. It's mostly a lateral move that doesn't involve a lot of money. I get that. But context always matters. This move simply doesn't align with the strategy that they have taken thus far, which makes it harder to understand their plan moving forward.

GRADE: D+