Feb 2, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard/forward Bennedict Mathurin (00) shoots the ball in the second half against the Houston Rockets at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Insider hints Chicago Bulls have interest in Pacers guard

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Zack Pearson | Last updated Feb 3, 2026 2:45 PM ET

The NBA’s trade deadline is still two days away and while the big rumors surround Giannis Antetokounmpo and where he will play next, the Chicago Bulls continue to be in rumors. Right now, it’s hard to see what direction the Bulls are going to go as they are currently in ninth place in the Eastern Conference.

Ideally, they would trade some players and get some assets back for a rebuild. But there have also been reports that the Bulls are looking to add some young players to try and build around and go for the playoffs this year.

The latest is Bulls insider K.C. Johnson.

The CHSN reporter is a veteran on the beat and has inside information that we all should listen to. On a recent episode of “The Fast Break”, Johnson revealed some insight into the Bulls’ potential plans.

“Let me just emphasize: this stretch is not influencing management’s thinking,” Johnson cautioned about Chicago’s latest run. He went on to then say they are looking for some young players still on rookie deals.

Chicago Bulls could be interested in Bennedict Mathurin

A name that Johnson mentioned was in Chicago’s division as guard Bennedict Mathurin could be a fit for the Bulls. Here is what Johnson had to say about that idea.

“The word around the league is they are interested in some young, athletic names,” Johnson said. “The way I would probably phrase it is, you look at teams that have players on rookie-scale contracts that are not currently working out for their current teams, whether that’s [Yves] Missi in New Orleans [or] Mathurin in Indiana…”

The 23-year-old Mathurin is a former lottery pick who thrived in his role as sixth man for the Pacers last season. He helped the Pacers get to the NBA Finals where they lost in Game 7 to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He flashed as a guard in the Pacers’ offense but this season has been a different story as he’s been dealing with injuries.

He’s averaging 17.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game this season. He’s shooting 43 percent from the field and 38 percent from the three-point line.

Taking a chance on a young player like Mathurin isn’t the worst idea for the Bulls, especially if they can do it without giving up valuable assets. There’s also a chance the Bulls could move off of Coby White or Ayo Dosunmu, which would make Mathurin a reasonable target.

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

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