Through 23 games, it’s already been a roller coaster of a season for the Chicago Bulls.
They opened the year winning six of their first seven games, then lost five straight, followed that up by winning three of four, and are now in the midst of a seven-game skid.
Injuries, uninspiring defensive play, and inconsistent shooting from behind the arc have been the biggest culprits behind Chicago’s 9-14 record and knack for streaky results.
At this point, we’re just weeks away from trade season really heating up, and while the last few weeks have pointed to the Bulls being clear sellers, you could argue that they’re teetering on the edge of being either buyers or sellers.
Either way, the current roster is going to have a hard time emerging from the East this year, so either adding some talent to make a push this year or selling off a piece or two in an effort to build for the future would be wise.
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Domantas Sabonis Sent to the Bulls in Stunning Proposal
Over the last few weeks, the Bulls have been tied to Anthony Davis, a Chicago native who could be moved at the deadline as the Dallas Mavericks look to change course.
However, nothing has really progressed in regard to this trade other than some rumblings in the rumor mill.
An AD alternative could be Sacramento Kings’ big man Domantas Sabonis, and Rohan Brahmbhatt of Yahoo Sports believes the two teams will make a Sabonis-Nikola Vucevic swap.
“Sabonis isn’t a superstar on the level of Giannis or Jokic, but he’s a franchise pillar, someone who can elevate the players around him. His passing would open up better looks for Giddey, simplify reads for Coby White, and give Chicago’s offense a structure it has been missing for years,” wrote Brahmbhatt.
Should The Bulls Make This Trade?
While assuming the Bulls’ front office will act rationally has become dangerous in recent years, it’s still hard to see them making a decision as foolish as this one.
For starters, there are the finances of this. Vucevic’s expiring contract gives Chicago legitimate flexibility this offseason. If they swapped him for Sabonis, they’d be locked into roughly $90 million over the next two years.
But there’s also the fact that the fit just makes zero sense for the Bulls. They already have a big man who’s an utter liability on defense; they don’t need a new one.
Don’t get me wrong, Sabonis is an immensely talented player. He can rack up rebounds and is among the league’s best passing big men. But the Bulls get plenty of playmaking from Josh Giddey, and getting after it on the glass isn’t exactly an issue for them.
What the Bulls do need to fix is the fact that they’re allowing 53.9 paint points per game, the 4th-highest mark in the league. Sabonis won’t help with that, and that’s pretty clearly demonstrated by the fact that the Kings lead the NBA in points allowed in the paint.
Altogether, this would be a trade that puts a big-time contract on the books but fails to address the team’s core problems. Sabonis is a fun name to add to the roster, but it just wouldn’t be a productive move.
Domantas Sabonis Stats
Sabonis is dealing with a meniscus injury at the moment, but when he’s been on the floor, he’s been stuffing the stat sheet.
2025-26 Stats:
11 GP
33.2 MPG
17.2 PPG
12.3 RPG
3.7 APG
51.0 FG%