Bulls linked to compelling trade with Western Conference contender

Imagn Images

Bulls linked to compelling trade with Western Conference contender

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Matthew Schmidt | Last updated Jun 8, 2026 11:50 AM ET

The Chicago Bulls are expected to be very active this offseason, as they have a wealth of cap room to utilize and a pair of first-round draft picks that they could dangle in trades.

The Bulls probably won’t be moving the No. 4 overall selection (unless, of course, they trade up), but the 15th pick could be in play and may be included in a package to land an established veteran player for their roster.

But who could Chicago pursue?

There might be plenty of players available for trade this summer, depending on how things shake out. However, that does not necessarily mean that any of them will be the right fit for the Bulls, especially as they enter a new era under fresh top executive Bryson Graham.

Jack Simone of Pippen Ain’t Easy, though, has identified a couple of players who could largely benefit Chicago next season: Denver Nuggets forwards Aaron Gordon and Cameron Johnson.

Chicago Bulls linked to trade with Denver Nuggets

Mar 22, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson (23) and forward Aaron Gordon (32) react the third quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Nuggets would surely love to re-sign Peyton Watson in free agency, and they may need to part with one of Gordon or Johnson to do that.

Simone sees that as the perfect opportunity for the Bulls to jump in and acquire some value.

“Last summer, they traded Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Johnson. The Nets took on MPJ’s bad contract and have since helped him revive his trade value,” Simone wrote. “The Bulls should try to do the same thing with either Gordon or Johnson this summer. Gordon is on a long-term contract, and Johnson will be on an expiring deal. Both could be valuable to certain teams in the right situations. It would just be up to the Bulls to either flip one of the guys right away or let them play next season and improve their value before moving them.”

Gordon was very productive during the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 16.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game on 49.7/38.9/76.7 shooting splits. However, injuries limited him to just 36 games, marking the second straight year he was largely inhibited my health issues.

Meanwhile, Johnson posted 12.2 points and 3.8 boards a night while shooting 48 percent from the floor and 43 percent from three-point range over 54 contests.

Both players are very valuable pieces when healthy, so perhaps Chicago would land one of them and hope they remain on the court next season. The Bulls could then flip one of them to a contender at the trade deadline.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: