Who Stays? Who Goes? Talking Through the Chicago Bulls' Seven Expiring Contracts

The Chicago Bulls have seven players who are set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. How will they plan to approach that with the season now in a spiral?

Dec 2, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) celebrates with guard Ayo Dosunmu (12) after defeating the New Orleans Pelicans at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

As the Chicago Bulls struggle to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference, it's hard not to look ahead.

One of the few things the organization has going for it is the immense amount of future flexibility. In addition to full control over their future first-round picks, the Bulls are also in line to have plenty of money to spend this offseason. And the main reason for that is the slew of expiring contracts.

In total, the Bulls have seven players who are expected to hit the market in 2026. While we may only be 25 games into the regular season, the time to start thinking about what they should do with each one of those players is now.

Who might they look to move on the trade market? Who could they try to keep around? Let's go through each player and discuss where things may stand in the eyes of the front office.

Chicago Bulls Expiring Contracts

Nikola Vucevic – $21,481,481

Dec 7, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) looks on during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

While the Chicago Bulls will likely push hard to find a Nikola Vucevic trade partner, it's hard to know if a deal will come to fruition. His $21.4 million isn't the easiest number to absorb mid-season, and the fact that cheap big men are usually plentiful on the market doesn't work in the team's favor. It's not hard to imagine any interested party talking themselves into waiting for the summer. Not only will they be able to avoid giving up anything meaningful, but Vucevic is bound to come at a significantly lower price.

Perhaps things would be different if the veteran played better. Vucevic started the year looking destined to end up in trade rumors. He was averaging 17.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists on 57.8 percent shooting from the field, which included a shocking 50.0 percent clip from long range. However, the switch has completely flipped during the team's recent losing streak.

Vucevic is now averaging only 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists on 43.4 percent shooting from the field. Even more concerning, he has scored in single digits in back-to-back games and played fewer than 27 minutes in each contest. Is it possible this slump is simply due to Vucevic's frustration with the state of the team? Sure. But a stretch like this isn't going to make it easier on the Bulls to find a suitor.

Zach Collins – $18,080,496

Dec 1, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Zach Collins (12) warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Returning only two games ago from a preseason wrist injury, it's hard to know where Zach Collins stands in the eyes of the front office. The big man played extremely well after coming over from the Spurs at last season's trade deadline, and he has undoubtedly been the team's best defensive option at the five.

Likewise, Collins still seems to fit relatively well with the way this organization wants to play. While he can provide some needed physicality, he is an above-average passer who is also capable of stretching the floor. His sheer versatility remains very intriguing.

With that said, health has been a long-standing problem for Collins, who has not crossed the 70-game threshold since the 2018-19 season. His $18.0 million could also keep teams from showing interest in him mid-season. This kind of contract is likely best suited as part of a multi-team trade, which is what we saw last year in the LaVine-De'Aaron Fox deal.

I have a feeling the Bulls will ride this one out with Collins. Finally back healthy, they have a chance to evaluate him alongside young pieces like Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis. If all goes well, they could look to re-sign him as a reserve in the offseason for less guaranteed money. If he chooses to go elsewhere, though, I think that's something the Bulls could live with.

Kevin Huerter – $17,991,071

Nov 17, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Chicago Bulls guard/forward Kevin Huerter (13) lines up a shot in the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Kevin Huerter feels like someone who might earn some last-second phone calls as the deadline approaches. While his three-ball is not falling at the rate many have grown accustomed to (yet), the forward has played well when healthy. He has taken some meaningful steps as an off-ball cutter and at-the-rim finisher. Even better, Huerter has shown a clear willingness to use his positional size to crash the glass and get to the free throw line.

Heck, his defense has even taken a step in the right direction. His 14 blocks are second on the team behind only Matas Buzelis and only nine away from his season total in 2024-25. Should anyone be considering him a lockdown defender? No. But Huerter's effort on this end has been solid.

If he can return from this adductor strain and continue to provide solid minutes, I could envision a team jumping the free agency line to add Huerter for this season and beyond.

Coby White – $12,888,889

Nov 22, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) shoots against the Washington Wizards during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Coby White conundrum is well-documented. One of the Chicago Bulls' best players over the last handful of years, his incredibly cost-effective contract has kept the organization from being able to extend him to a number that makes sense.

The question now is whether or not the Bulls risk waiting for the offseason to keep their leading scorer or attempt to cash in on his value before it's too late. While keeping a 25-year-old White could make plenty of sense, the Bulls also have to be smart about their spending. They have already handed Josh Giddey a $100 million over these next four years. White is likely to net an even more valuable contract, with some believing it could reach the $30+ million range.

If that is the case, the Bulls could have over $50 million a season invested in their young backcourt. Is that a move worth making for a franchise that has lost three straight Play-In Tournaments? Are they confident that a White-Giddey combo can serve as the backbone of the winning team?

Which way the team trends over the next months or so will be extremely telling. If one thing is for sure, this recent seven-game losing streak sure makes it feel as if White could be on the move.

Ayo Dosunmu – $7,518,518

Nov 21, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) stands on the court during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Ayo Dosunmu finds himself in a very similar situation to Coby White. The guard is in the final year of a three-year, $21.0 million deal that presumably made it easy for his camp to turn down any extension offer.

Keep in mind, the max the Bulls can offer before unrestricted free agency is a deal that starts at 140 percent of a player's final year salary. For Dosunmu, this would mean a contract that nets him only $10.5 million in Year 1 with 8.0 percent raises. That's not nearly enough for someone who has performed as well as he has over the last couple of seasons.

Having said that, Dosunmu is bound to cost less than White to keep around. This could be reason enough for the Bulls to stick with him as free agency nears, opting to focus on White's trade market. At the same time, it sure feels as if Dosunmu could land the organization a pretty generous return. He is a fantastic transition threat with solid defensive instincts. Instantly plugging him into a playoff rotation shouldn't be difficult.

Jevon Carter – $6,809,524

Nov 24, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jevon Carter (5) brings the ball up court against New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen (not pictured) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Jevon Carter's time with the Chicago Bulls has likely come to an end. The guard originally signed with the franchise in 2023 after a great year with the Milwaukee Bucks. However, he was never able to carve out a consistent rotational role.

The Bulls have seemingly valued his locker room presence and professionalism, but I can't imagine that's enough to reward him with a new deal.

Dalen Terry – $5,399,118

Dec 7, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry (7) stands on the court during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Will the Chicago Bulls make Dalen Terry a restricted free agent by extending him a qualifying offer? A former No. 18 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the lanky wing has struggled to figure out where he fits in. Considering he is still only 23 years old, it feels likely that the front office tries to keep him around for cheap, but how he performs over the final few months of this season could make or break his future in Chicago.