NBA Trade Season Starts Today, How Will the Chicago Bulls Respond?

The Chicago Bulls trade rumors about to shift into – *dramatic pause* – MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE!

The first month and a half of this season has already featured a surprising amount of chatter. Whether it be Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, or Domantas Sabonis, the Bulls have been connected to multiple big names who may become available in the coming weeks. Likewise, teams have undoubtedly started to keep tabs on Chicago as a potential deadline seller. Coby White has been one of the team's most talked-about trade chips, with Minnesota most recently expressing interest.

Of course, Chicago's 114-104 loss against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday also isn't going to ease speculation. The Bulls have now dropped eight of their nine contests, and their seven-game skid marked their longest losing streak since 2020. New Orleans has been among the NBA's worst teams all season long, and they now hold a record of 5-22. Two of those wins have come against Chicago, as they managed to dominate the Bulls' weak interior defense in both matchups.

Sitting out the trade deadline has become increasingly unjustifiable by the day. Not only are they failing to stay competitive despite repeated insistence that this is the goal, but the franchise has seven expiring contracts sitting on its roster. In other words, from both a team-building AND a business standpoint, the Bulls have practically no excuse not to hit the phone lines hard in the coming weeks.

Indeed, today officially marks the day the floodgates open around the NBA. The Bulls better strap on their floaties and tighten their goggles!

Coby White of the Chicago Bulls — Mar 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) celebrates his three point basket against the Los Angeles Lakers with guard Josh Giddey (3) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Will Chicago Bulls Make the Most of NBA Trade Season?

Today – December 15 – is a very big day around the league. The majority of players who signed a contract this offseason have seen their restrictions lifted and are now eligible to be traded. ESPN's Bobby Marks puts the exact number at 82 players, making 90 percent of the league movable.

Tomorrow will mark the final day that a player can be traded and still included in a second transaction by the February 5 deadline. Marks notes Golden State's Dennis Schroder transaction as a recent example. The team acquired him on December 15 of 2024, before moving him again to Detroit near the deadline.

Nevertheless, the primary headline here is that trade conversations can finally be had in earnest. While it's likely that plenty of discussions have already been held, it's equally as likely that not many of those included legitimate trade proposals. Teams simply were not able to move certain players until today.

For instance, Houston can now think about moving Fred VanVleet's $25.0 million to bolster their title hopes, or Dallas could jumpstart their youth movement by dealing Kyrie Irving. Milwaukee could also try to shake things up again by moving off Myles Turner, and Detroit could go after a superstar by packaging together Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert.

Everything has a domino effect in the NBA, which is why a day like today feels so darn important. Teams essentially have full control over their tradeable assets and can officially begin to think about what the rest of the season holds. Do they get creative and push all their chips in for a playoff run, or do they take their foot off the gas and build for the future?

To be clear, Tre Jones is the only new player who became trade-eligible today for the Chicago Bulls. And I would be somewhat surprised if they moved off him, considering his role and extremely palatable three-year, $24.0 million contract. However, this doesn't mean today isn't just as significant in Chicago. Once again, this is a franchise at a crossroads. The Bulls have every reason to pick up the phone and hear out offers. And the flexibility that other teams now have should only increase the number of calls coming across Arturas Karnisovas' desk.

Chicago has been allergic to mid-season trades in the past. Their decision to move Zach LaVine at the 2024-25 deadline was their first in-season move since March 25, 2021. With free agency becoming less and less important, the time is now to change the organizational philosophy. The trade market has become arguably the best way for a team to fix its problems, and few teams have more of those than the Chicago Bulls.

Let the trade madness begin!