After being linked in multiple NBA trade rumors this past offseason, the Chicago Bulls didn’t end up trading their All-Stars, instead opting to swap Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey. Yet, multiple Bulls rumors suggested Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and several others were available for a fair price.
Recently, Patrick Williams trade rumors have emerged, even after Chicago signed him to a five-year, $90 million contract in June. But he’s not the only Bulls player up for grabs in trade discussions.
Chicago Bulls trade rumors heat up after 8-13 start
The Chicago Bulls finished the 2023 season with a 39-43 record, finishing in ninth place of the Eastern Conference. This year hasn’t been any better for Bulls fans, with Chicago falling to 8-13 after Friday night’s loss to the Celtics. With the Bulls in 11th place of the East, it could be time to reconsider their trade options.
According to The Stein Line’s NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Bulls are already willing to discuss trades involving “the majority of the roster.”
“No surprise, then, that Bulls executives, according to league sources, have been messaging to rival front offices that they are willing to discuss the majority of their roster in trade talks leading up to the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Most notably, sources say, Chicago has expressed a desire to move LaVine, Vučević and Ball — who collectively command nearly $85 million in salary this season.” Arturas is trying to drive up attention for all of his guys — he’s smart,” said one league figure with knowledge of the Bulls’ thinking. “The fact they were willing to move DeMar and [Alex] Caruso [this past offseason], they’re willing to move anybody [now].”
The Bulls hold their own first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but only if it lands within the top ten picks. Right now, the Bulls are projected to have the eighth pick. In turn, trading some of their best players away could ensure Chicago keeps their own pick, instead of sending it to San Antonio as a result of the DeMar DeRozan trade.
As teams try to position themselves to select a potential superstar in Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the Bulls could look to execute multiple trades to get a head start on their competition.