Bulls Reportedly Entertaining Trade Talks For Nearly Everyone On Roster

As the NBA trade deadline approaches, the Chicago Bulls are positioning themselves to make moves, but head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas isn’t just focused on the obvious trade candidates like Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and Lonzo Ball.

According to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, Karnisovas is willing to entertain trade offers for just about anyone on the roster if it helps the team in the long term and secures their top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick.

Cowley highlights Matas Buzelis as the only player who’s “somewhat” untouchable, but even he’s not completely off the table. This isn’t exactly a shocking development; the Bulls have already made forward Patrick Williams available, and Cowley recently suggested that guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu aren’t necessarily safe from trade discussions either.

Further down the depth chart, the Bulls also don’t seem particularly attached to bench players like Jalen Smith, Jevon Carter, Chris Duarte, Torrey Craig, and Talen Horton-Tucker.

And though younger players like Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips haven’t proven themselves as long-term pieces, their futures with the team remain uncertain as well.

One interesting note here is Josh Giddey, who was viewed as a potential cornerstone for Chicago’s future after being acquired from Oklahoma City last summer in exchange for Alex Caruso.

Giddey, still on his rookie contract and yet to sign an extension, has had a somewhat inconsistent first season with the Bulls. Cowley notes that while it would be a surprise if Giddey were moved before the trade deadline, his value might be limited given that he’s on an expiring deal.

On the Vucevic front, the Bulls are still holding out for a first-round pick in exchange for the veteran center, with the Golden State Warriors reportedly “at the front of the line.”

However, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Warriors have been reluctant to offer more than second-round picks, creating a potential sticking point in negotiations.

As for LaVine, trade chatter has been swirling since mid-December, when the Denver Nuggets were rumored to be pursuing the high-scoring guard. However, LaVine has been on a scoring tear since then, averaging 27.0 points per game on excellent shooting splits, which has only increased his trade value.

With Denver’s Jamal Murray also heating up, it’s looking less likely that LaVine will land in Denver anytime soon, especially as the Nuggets may not want to part with the assets Chicago is asking for.

And in case you missed it, the Bulls have also reportedly had talks with the Phoenix Suns about Bradley Beal, adding another layer to the ongoing trade rumors surrounding the team.