Ranking the Six Chicago Bulls Most Likely to be Moved as We Enter Trade Season

With trade season unofficially beginning this week, it feels like the perfect time to review the Chicago Bulls' top trade chips!

Let's rank the six players who are most likely to pop up in rumors, as well as dive into why the Bulls may (or may not) look to move on from each.

Top 6 Trade Candidates for the Chicago Bulls

1. Coby White – $12,888,889

Coby White of the Chicago Bulls — Dec 12, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) drives to the basket against Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The recent buzz surrounding Coby White says it all.

While his calf injury took him out of the spotlight for the first few weeks of the season, White's recent return has come alongside new rumors. The guard was most recently connected to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have reportedly gone as far as contacting the Bulls about a potential deal. K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network also recently noted that White is on the radar of "several teams" as trade season tips off.

Still only 25 years old, White has taken significant steps forward over the past handful of years. He has emerged as a true three-level scoring threat, impressing with his improved ball-handling and increased ability to get to the free throw line. At the same time, his catch-and-shoot shotmaking ability from behind the arc and transition speed have remained borderline elite. There have been genuine flashes of All-Star-level bucket-getting, and it's not hard to envision him fitting into several different systems.

So, isn't that reason enough for the Bulls to keep him, especially as they go in a younger direction? One could certainly make that case, but the problem remains his contract. The Bulls are fresh off paying Josh Giddey $100 million this offseason. As inexpensive as White is now, he is on track to demand $30+ million this summer. Can Chicago afford to pay an unproven backcourt $50+ million a season?

The looming contract situation is also a big reason why the Bulls have likely missed out on an opportunity to land a max return for White. Knowing White is owed a big pay raise, teams are going to be careful about how much they give up. Likewise, they are probably going to need assurance from White that he will be willing to re-sign.

Nonetheless, White's currently cheap price tag and continued upside make him likely to be thrown around in a lot of trade conversations this season. And the more talks there are, the more likely it is that someone sends an offer that is hard to refuse.

2. Nikola Vucevic – $21,481,481

Nikola Vucevic of the Chicago Bulls — Nov 29, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) looks to shoot the ball against Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) during the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Unlike with Coby White, I expect the Bulls to be the ones starting most Nikola Vucevic conversations.

Moving on from Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Alex Caruso in recent years, the big man has become a fish out of water in Chicago. He is comfortably the oldest player on the roster (35) and has looked increasingly fed up with this young group's inability to play competitive basketball. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune this past week, Vucevic even admitted that it's hard not to question his current fit with the franchise.

With that in mind, I think it's safe to say a divorce is on the horizon, but could it be finalized in the coming weeks, or will it have to wait until the offseason? If one thing is for sure, Chicago would like to get something back in return for the durable veteran.

The Bulls' pitch to opposing teams will likely be his very positive 2024-25 season. Vucevic averaged a career-high effective field goal percentage and drained 40.0 percent of his triples. Additionally, he continued to be a double-double machine with 18.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Especially come playoff time, someone as experienced as Vucevic could come in handy.

Nevertheless, teams will surely throw Vucevic's glaring defensive deficiencies in the Bulls' face, as well as his recent play. While it may simply be due to the bad vibes in Chicago, Vucevic has looked like a shell of his former self over the last couple of weeks. The big man has recorded four straight games with 13 points or fewer, and he was even benched during the second half of Chicago's loss to the Hornets.

Let's also not ignore the salary. Vucevic is owed $25.4 million this season. It may not be an astronomical number, but teams are more money-conscious than ever before in this new CBA era. The salary is large enough that a handful of interested teams could quickly shut down trade talk, especially knowing that they could make a run at Vucevic for significantly less money in free agency.

Still, I think it's only right to have the big man second on this list when we factor in his apparent frustration and all the trade rumors from last season. As long as a team comes calling with a few second-round picks and a matching expiring deal, I could see the Bulls accepting. Heck, I could also see them working relatively hard to ensure that Vucevic is included in a multi-team deal simply to get him somewhere new.

3. Ayo Dosunmu – $7,518,518

Ayo Dosunmu of the Chicago Bulls — Dec 1, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

As far as trade interest goes, I undoubtedly expect Ayo Dosunmu to draw more interest than Nikola Vucevic. In fact, I think one could even argue that just as many teams will call about him as Coby White.

Dosunmu is a hard player not to like. He is an excellent transition playmaker, incredibly efficient finisher, hard-working defender, and gold-star teammate. Averaging career-highs across the board this season, he is someone who has worn several different hats during his time in Chicago and should be able to slide into nearly any rotation with ease. There is also a real case to make that he deserves even more on-ball reps. Shooting 51.9 percent this season and averaging 15.2 points a night, the 25-year-old Dosunmu still feels like someone with untapped scoring upside.

Could those be precise reasons why the Bulls will work hard to keep him, though? It's hard to imagine they will move on from both White and Dosunmu by this deadline. While it may not make financial sense to keep both around long-term, they surely have enough spending power to keep one around. And Dosunmu would be the cheaper of the two options.

If the Bulls do commit to a full-blown sell-off, they can likely start a small bidding war for Dosunmu. But they will also face the same problem they have with Coby White, as Dosunmu is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Teams might be willing to cross their fingers and hope they can yank him away in a handful of months.

At the end of the day, I'm not sure any offers will truly match the value the Bulls believe Dosunmu has, which could make a new offseason deal the more likely outcome.

4. Kevin Huerter – $17,991,071

Kevin Huerter of the Chicago Bulls — Oct 25, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Kevin Huerter (13) dribbles up the court in the second half against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images | Russell Lansford-Imagn Images

I have long said that Kevin Huerter feels like a dark-horse trade chip.

Another player on an expiring deal for Chicago, the forward is the kind of contributor that an organization could easily talk itself into. He has put together a pretty strong season in Chicago so far, averaging 12.2 points, 2.3 assists, and 3.3 rebounds on 47.4 percent shooting from the field.

Formerly known as a sharpshooter, Huerter has done a great job displaying his versatility. He has been extremely effective attacking the rim and cutting toward the basket. We've also seen him use his positional size to grab some big rebounds and put together some decent defensive possessions. Believe it or not, he is actually third on the Bulls in blocks this season and is only nine away from matching last season's total.

To be sure, his nearly $18.0 million payday presents a hurdle, as does his uncharacteristic 31.6 percent success rate behind the arc. He is another player that teams may wait to take a closer look at until the offseason. However, if he remains a steady hand off the bench for Chicago and starts to knock down his triples at a more familiar clip, I wouldn't be stunned if the Bulls find somewhere to move him at the deadline.

5. Jalen Smith – $9,000,000

Jalen Smith of the Chicago Bulls — Dec 12, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jalen Smith (25) goes to the basket against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Do I think the Chicago Bulls will go out of their way to move Jalen Smith? No, and I'm also not sure many teams will come calling. However, I do think that the big man is a relatively easy name to throw into package deals.

Making a reasonable $9.0 million both this year and next, Smith has played very well for Chicago in his reserve role this season. The big man has averaged 9.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in his 16.8 minutes of action a night. He's also shot 37.7 percent from long range on a career-high 4.1 attempts per game. As far as modern big men go, Smith remains an intriguing and high-energy player who could be a worthwhile option for teams with more traditional fives.

Again, I doubt that we see a trade center specifically around him, but his salary and steady production could make him an interesting throw-in with one of the players above. For instance, we included him in a fake trade yesterday that sent Coby White to Milwaukee.

6. Zach Collins – $18,080,496

Zach Collins of the Chicago Bulls — Dec 12, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Zach Collins (12) shoots during pregame warm ups against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Some may rank Zach Collins ahead of Jalen Smith, but I think the big man's injury history and $18.0 million payday will work against him.

To be clear, he has played well since making his way to Chicago. His physicality, mobility, and floor spacing have really stood out at times, and I could see several teams showing interest when he hits unrestricted free agency this summer. With that said, I could also see the Bulls being one of those teams.

Chicago has really seemed to like what Collins brings to the floor. He came into the year as the presumed backup to Nikola Vucevic, and head coach Billy Donovan has started to lean on him more and more following his return from a preseason wrist injury. While I don't necessarily think the Bulls will fight extra hard to ensure he stays this summer, I wouldn't be surprised if they prefer to wait and see if it's possible to keep him.