Is Tre Jones Becoming One of the Chicago Bulls' Best Trade Chips?

When the Chicago Bulls' Tre Jones exploded for 34 points against the Houston Rockets on January 13, the trade talk felt inevitable.

The guard had been impressing in his expanded role since the 2025-26 season tipped off. With Coby White sidelined to begin the year, head coach Billy Donovan put Jones alongside Josh Giddey in the starting lineup until the leading scorer's return. Not only did he look more than comfortable in this role, but he did not lose a beat once transitioning back to the second unit.

Fast forward to late December with more injury trouble for the Bulls' backcourt, and Donovan turned to Jones again. The 34-point outburst on a stunning 11-12 shooting came seven games later. And he did it in only 27 minutes of action. While another return to the bench would eventually follow, Jones proved for a second time that his spot in the rotation didn't matter. He has now had back-to-back double-doubles to help Chicago win two straight: 10 points and 10 assists against Brooklyn, followed by 15 points and 10 assists against Los Angeles.

Tre Jones off the bench:

15 PTS
8 REB
10 AST
6-7 FG (!!)
+32

Joins TJ McConnell as the only active players to record a 15/5/10 game on 85+ FG% off the bench. pic.twitter.com/dZtlHdhoI4
— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 21, 2026

Overall, Jones has played in 37 of the team's 43 games this season, averaging 12.4 points, 5.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals a night. He's also shot a remarkably impressive 54.6 percent from the field and has forced his way to the charity stripe for a career-high 3.7 attempts per game. Even with the Bulls sitting in the same middling spot in the Eastern Conference standings, Jones' consistent production has been hard not to notice.

Nothing underscores that more than what K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network had to say on the latest episode of The Fastbreak. When reviewing Arturas Karnisovas' recent transactions, Johnson made mention of acquiring Jones, who he says may now be a flippable piece for the front office.

"There is already some Tre Jones chatter around the league," Johnson stated. "Could he be flipped because he has a very tradeable contract, and he's playing at a high level and could benefit any team in the league. So that's something to monitor between now and February 5."

Tre Jones of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 16, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones (30) goes to the basket against Brooklyn Nets guard Drake Powell (4) during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

While the Bulls' uptempo brand of basketball may fit best with Jones' skillset, there is no question he has the kind of game that could slide into nearly any system. He is a pass-first player with underrated court vision and the fifth-highest assist-to-turnover ratio in the NBA (minimum 37 games). In other words, he is constantly looking to make those around him better and limits his mistakes in the process.

His active hands on the defensive end have also been hard to ignore. Jones' six-foot-one frame may work against him on some nights, but he is a hard-working defender with a real knack for cutting off passing lanes and denying entry passes. Contenders are always hoping to add two-way talent before a postseason run.

The real kicker, though, is Jones' extremely cost-effective contract. One of the very few things Karnisovas deserves credit for is his ability to re-sign guards to valuable deals. He did it with Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, only to follow suit with Jones. The guard is on a three-year, $21.0 million contract that nets him a flat $8.0 million each season. Talk about an instantly strong return on investment!

At this rate, if contenders are calling about White and Dosunmu, why wouldn't they also ask about Jones? The less efficient three-point shooting may be one reason, but it's genuinely hard to think of many others, specifically when we consider the way he has played the last few weeks. Especially if you're a team with limited financial flexibility, you would not have to worry about paying Jones as soon as this offseason to avoid losing him for nothing. That matters.

Now, has Jones been strongly connected to any specific team yet? No. But Johnson has seemingly made clear that the chatter exists, and we all know there is no shortage of teams that can use the backcourt help. The Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves are the two that have come up the most. However, New York seems to be in need of more dependable ball-handling, while the Orlando Magic have remained short on guard depth.

To be sure, there is more urgency to move White and Dosunmu, considering the contract situation. The Bulls could always look to build Jones' value even more moving forward. With that said, this is also an organization that has failed to sell high time and again. If the interest in Jones is starting to build and cost-conscious teams are starting to prefer him over Chicago's other options, they would be wrong not to listen. Everything has to be on the table with 15 days to go until the deadline.