Tre Jones ' New Deal is Already Looking Like a Huge Steal for the Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls do not stun the Cleveland Cavaliers without Tre Jones.

Checking in off the bench, the guard did his part to help this group look a lot more like their early-season self. He finished the evening with 11 points, 11 assists, and 3 steals in his 24 minutes of action. Whether it be the Bulls' 38-27 advantage in bench points, their 24-15 advantage in fastbreak points, or their uncharacteristic 21 points off turnovers, Jones' aggressive two-way mindset impacted every area of the box score.

Good stat from Bulls PR: Tre Jones tallied 11 points, 11 assists and 3 steals, joining Toni Kukoč as only Bulls reserves in team history to tally 10+ points, 10+ rebounds and 3+ steals in a game.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) December 18, 2025

The playmaking, in particular, proved to be an essential difference-maker. The Bulls found success early this season largely because of their ball movement and equal-opportunity offense. Jones' constant activity and quick decision-making were contagious, and he ended up dishing an assist to EIGHT different Bulls. In fact, he connected with five different players before reconnecting with Zach Collins for an alley-oop slam. That's what this Bulls team is supposed to be all about.

For what it's worth, Jones is now the first Bulls player to have two games with 10+ assists off the bench since DJ Augustin, per StatMuse. A good reminder that it's pretty darn rare to have someone in the second unit who can facilitate at this high a level.

The defense also shouldn't be ignored! A department where the Bulls have struggled immensely all season long, Jones has been arguably the team's most consistently productive player on this end. His three steals led to 7 points, and it also put him at a total of 34 steals on the season. Not only does that mean he is only four away from surpassing last season's total, but he is tied for having the 13th-most steals in the NBA.

I recognize that highlighting Jones' strong play can feel a tad anti-climactic when we consider the team's 11-15 record. However, not everything can be looked at through the same team-wide lens. Whether it be Josh Giddey's continued growth or Jones high-impact play in an upset win, these are the small storylines in a season that matter. And that feels particularly true for an organization still fighting for a better tomorrow.

Indeed, the more I watch Jones, the more I feel as if the Bulls pulled a fast one on the NBA. For all the criticism that this front office gets (and 100 percent deserves), signing young guards to cost-effective deals has oddly become a strength. They did this with Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, and they have now seemingly done it with Jones.

The 25-year-old is owed a mere $24.0 million over the next three seasons. The Bulls also worked it out to be a flat $8.0 million a season with a player option in the 2027-28 season. All things considered, that feels like a downright steal in today's NBA for someone averaging 12.4 points, 5.6 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals a night.

Tre Jones of the Chicago Bulls — Dec 17, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones (30) shoots against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. (9) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

I understand that the results as a whole may not make this feel like some sort of massive win for the franchise. But what can always help turn a franchise around is having good players on good deals. Jones is checking that box this season. He is performing like someone who can play a vital role in establishing a style of play and developing other young players. That's important.

Likewise, Jones is sure starting to look like the kind of asset who could become incredibly valuable to contending teams. I'm not saying I expect the Bulls to move him in the coming months, but who's to say that opportunity doesn't present itself down the road? At this rate, especially when we consider the contract, Jones is trending toward becoming a legitimately intriguing trade chip.

Regardless, what matters most is that the Bulls have appeared to make the right move by keeping Tre Jones around. The whole point of moving on from Lonzo Ball was to seemingly open up the kind of playing time that would give Jones a chance to find his footing. There is little question that he has done exactly that to start the year, and it will be interesting to see where he can go from here.