OVER THE LAST five-plus NBA seasons, it’s become quite evident that Chicago Bulls VP of Basketball Ops Artūras Karnišovas is really, really bad at his job.
Before you jump to his defense with a flower like, “But he drafted Matas Buzelis and Ayo Dosunmu,” remember that the team’s winning percentage under his watch is .489, the kind of record that gets a franchise into the Play-In Tournament and out of the Draft Lottery, a situation that makes it all but impossible to improve.
Karnišovas could’ve tanked his way into a lottery spot — or drafted Tyrese Haliburton or Deni Avdjia rather than Patrick Williams — but he stubbornly thought his mismatched, mish-mosh rosters could get the Bulls past Giannis and the Bucks, or Jayson and the Celtics, or Jalen and the Knicks.
Newsflash: Not so much.
Here we are on the precipice of the 2025-26 Trade Deadline — as of this writing, it’s about 96 hours away — and the chances of a tank or any marked improvement is slim.
The man they call A.K. doesn’t have enough draft capital or roster assets to put together a deal that would change the Bulls’ trajectory (such as it is). and even if he did, he’s yet to demonstrate the wherewithal to execute a slick, needle-moving transaction. (Admittedly, this weekend’s acquisition of Dario Saric and a couple of future second round picks for, well, nothing was a solid move. But it won’t get them off the treadmill of mediocrity. Not even close.)
Me, I’ve created dozens of trades that would move some needles, but for reasons that elude me, the Bulls have yet to offer me the GM gig, thus I may as well revist my mock deals, because unlike every dealmaker in the NBA, I have nothing to hide.
So enjoy this buttload of trade scenarios, some absurd, some realistic, and all better than anything Karnišovas has done during his Chicago Bulls career.
Coby White
Patrick Williams
Sam Hauser
2026 second-round pick
Coby White
Nikola Vučević
Coby White
Nikola Vučević
Coby White
Patrick Williams
Caris LeVert (expiring)
Georges Niang (expiring)
2027 first-round pick
Coby White
Patrick Williams
Naji Marshall
Klay Thompson (expiring)
2026 second-round pick
Peyton Watson
2026 second-round pick
Coby White
Nikola Vučević
Coby White
Patrick Williams
Aaron Nesmith
Jarace Walker
2026 second-round pick
John Konchar
2026 second-round pick
2027 second-round pick
2029 second-round pick
Coby White
Patrick Williams
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Haywood Highsmith
2026 second-round pick
Coby White
Nikola Vučević
Bobby Portis
2027 second-round pick
2028 second-round pick
Coby White
Patrick Williams
Patrick Williams
Coby White
Bulls 2026 first-round pick (top-six protected, converts to top-ten in 2027, then lottery protected in 2028)
Bulls 2027 second-round pick
Coby White
Patrick Williams
Bulls 2026 first-round pick (top-10 protected)
Bulls 2028 first-round pick (top-12 protected, converts to two second-round picks if not conveyed)
Miles McBride
Precious Achiuwa
2026 second-round pick
2027 second-round pick
Kenrich Williams
Davis Bertans (expiring)
2027 second-round pick
Nicolas Batum (expiring)
KJ Martin
2026 second-round pick
Coby White
Nikola Vučević
Jabari Walker
Robert Williams III
2026 second-round pick
Coby White
Patrick Williams
Keldon Johnson
2026 second-round pick
Bruce Brown
Chris Boucher (expiring)
2026 second-round pick
Coby White
Nikola Vučević
Walker Kessler
2026 second-round pick