The Chicago Bulls are in a position where they need to find ways to improve their roster. The team is sitting with a 12-15 record, which places them in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. There are a lot of trade discussions happening around the league, but there is one that makes a lot of sense to fit an area of need for Chicago. Let’s take a deeper dive into what the trade looks like and why it makes sense.
The Chicago Bulls trade for Herbert Jones and DeAndre Jordan
Dec 18, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (2) brings the ball up court against the Houston Rockets during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
In the trade proposal from Clutch Sports, the Bulls would make a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Bulls would receive Herb Jones and DeAndre Jordan in exchange for Kevin Huerter, 2026 first-round pick (via Portland Trail Blazers), 2028 first-round pick (top-14 protected), and second-round picks. This would be a lot to give up and basically a salary dump in Jordan, but this trade could really help the Bulls while giving the Pelicans an expiring contract and draft capital.
Why this trade makes sense for the Bulls
You may look at the trade proposal and believe it is a massive overpay for Chicago. However, this trade would guarantee Jones under contract through the 2028-29 season, when he has a $24.1 million player option. This move cannot happen until Jan. 16 due to the contract situation as well. This would significantly improve the defense for the Bulls, who are currently 25th in the league with 122.0 points per game allowed. Losing Kevin Huerter would be difficult as he has been a strong rotational piece, but adding Jones would benefit the team.
Trading away multiple first-round picks could be difficult, but this gives Chicago its all-in approach. They own all their first-round picks currently, so this trade isn’t something that ruins the future either. This is more of believing in Jones to help the defense rather than pushing all the chips into the center of the table.
Jordan could be a bench piece in case of injury. It also helps if the team decides to trade Nikola Vucevic as well and wants to develop a younger center. Jordan has an amazing amount of experience and could be a player-coach for the young big men in Chicago. He can also be a different look to an undersized center in Zach Collins or Jalen Smith. This trade has some benefits, and while it makes the future a little more murky, it helps create a tough core to compete against for the next few years.
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