Bulls 2026 NBA trade deadline grade after 6 deals

The Bulls were at a crossroads; they had plenty of players on expiring deals whom they could conceivably get some value for instead of letting them go in free agency for nothing. And it’s not like those players wouldn’t make any sort of impact for winning teams. But again, the problem was that the Bulls have waited too long and have been content for far too long to stay as a mediocre team, limiting their returns on the trade market.

Chicago had pulled off a comedy of moves prior to the trade deadline that it wasn’t quite clear what the end goal is for their front office. For starters, they brought in so many guards. And this is not being overblown in any capacity. They indeed traded for so many combo guards that it’s difficult to envision most of them staying on the roster for next season.

To begin with, the Bulls finally traded Nikola Vucevic away in a deal that was honestly a long time coming. It always hurt that the Bulls gave up Wendell Carter Jr., another starting-caliber big man in the NBA, and the first-round pick that became Franz Wagner to bring in Vucevic, but there was no reason for Chicago to hold on to Vucevic for too long.

For Vucevic, the Bulls got Anfernee Simons and a 2026 second-round pick from the Boston Celtics. That would have been a meh return as it was. But Chicago made it even worse for themselves by attaching a 2027 second-round pick to Vucevic.

Chicago also held on to Coby White for far too long. All the Bulls could trade White for was a package from the Charlotte Hornets headlined by Collin Sexton, another guard, along with Ousmane Dieng and three second-round picks. Due to a failed medical from White that showed some seriousness regarding the calf injury he’s currently experiencing, the Bulls had to settle for one fewer second-round pick as a result.

Instead of trading White when his value was higher during the offseason, the Bulls had to settle for that return for one of their best players.

And then Chicago made it worse for themselves; due to their dire big man situation, they had to flip Dieng, a 22-year-old big man who could have promise, to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Nick Richards. Dieng has shone thus far in his brief time with the Bucks, while Richards is a known commodity — he’s a backup big man who can only be utilized as a starter in case of emergency.

The Bulls’ guard wheeling and dealing did not stop there. They flipped Kevin Huerter, who was on an expiring contract too, to the Detroit Pistons for a return headlined by Jaden Ivey. While it’s hard to rag on the Bulls for betting on another former lottery pick, especially considering that Ivey has shown promise in the past, he’s yet another guard who joins the team’s logjam at the positions he’s supposed to be playing in.

Ivey also continues the Bulls’ trend of gambling on former lottery picks who’ve lost their luster; Chicago has brought in Ivey, Isaac Okoro, and Jalen Smith in recent years, and yet their original teams gave up on them for reasons that were pretty clear.

Speaking of gambling on former lottery picks, Rob Dillingham was somehow the primary piece the Bulls got in exchange for Ayo Dosunmu, whose pace, shooting, and ballhandling would be such boons for a contending team.

Sure, Chicago got four second-round picks for Dosunmu, who himself was drafted in the second round in the past, but Dillingham further complicates the sticky web that is the Bulls’ backcourt picture.

For those not counting at home, the Bulls now have the following players who are in need of minutes at the guard position: Josh Giddey, Simons, Sexton, Ivey, Dillingham, and Tre Jones. The situation is tenable at the moment since Giddey and Jones are on the mend, but when those players return, head coach Billy Donovan is about to have his work cut out for him.

The Dalen Terry for Guerschon Yabusele swap at least appears to be working in the Bulls’ favor, with Yabusele being hell-bent on reviving his career in the Windy City.

Chicago got a total of eight second-round picks, which is nothing to scoff at. That at least should help them grease the wheels for future trades.

But the fact that they failed to get at least one first-round pick for the likes of Vucevic, White, and Dosunmu is an utter failure. Chicago will have to pay Ivey big money for his next contract. Simons and Sexton are on expiring contracts. Patrick Williams’ albatross of a deal is still on their books.

The Bulls front office may have been cooking prior to the trade deadline, but sadly, the dish they came up with is going straight to the waste bin.

Bulls’ trade deadline grade: D