The Chicago Bulls‘ offense is quite impressive. They have loads of playmakers and 3-point shooters on the roster. However, they won’t be able to get to the next level as the defense currently stands. Chicago is 26th in opponents’ points per game (121.9).
They lack both perimeter and interior defenders, and it will likely take a trade to turn things around. Herb Jones is one of the best defenders in the NBA, so the Bulls should try to work out a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Bulls could add more defense in the form of Herb Jones
Bulls receive: Herb Jones, DeAndre Jordan
Pelicans receive: Kevin Huerter, 2026 first-round pick (via Trail Blazers), 2028 first-round pick (protected 1-14), second-round picks
Jones would single-handedly improve Chicago’s defense. The small forward/shooting guard is 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan. Before an injury-riddled 2024-25 season, Jones finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, a true accomplishment for a non-big. Jones’ combination of length and speed allows him to wreak havoc in the passing lanes.
In addition to racking up steals (1.6 career steals per game), Jones plays stifling defense in the point-of-attack. Opposing players struggle to shoot over the top of him or to get past him on their drives. Jones even has more rim protection ability than the average player of his position.
Coby White, Isaac Okoro, Patrick Williams, Nikola Vucevic, and Matas Buzelis all have a negative Defensive Box Plus/Minus, and Josh Giddey is far from a known stopper. Jones would mask a lot of the defensive issues the team has. He can guard the opposing team’s best player and cover for the weaker defensive players on the Bulls’ roster.
Jones has improved on offense, too. In his last fully healthy season, Jones surpassed the 40% mark on his 3-point shots. He is a legitimate threat from the corner, and although his offensive numbers are down this year, he wouldn’t hurt the flow of the Bulls’ offense.
In this proposal, the Bulls would have to give up Kevin Huerter and two first-round picks. Huerter’s 3-point expertise has been more theoretical than reality in recent seasons. Trading two first-round picks would be risky, but the Bulls would hope to be a playoff team by 2028 and, therefore, hold onto the top-14 protected pick.
Would the Pelicans trade Herb Jones?
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The Pelicans aren’t really in a position to tank. They owe the Atlanta Hawks their 2026 first-round pick, so there’s not much incentive to trade their best players, and, therefore, potentially lose more games. However, the Pelicans are dead last in the Western Conference already, so they might as well stock up on as much future capital as they can.
A trade involving Jones can’t be made until Jan. 15 because of the contract he signed in the offseason, but a deal might be on the table come that time. Without their 2026 first-rounder, the Pelicans don’t have much of a path to getting better without trading for more draft capital.
The Pelicans’ defense is already suspect, so trading Jones would be risky. Considering he is signed to a reasonable contract, too, the team might be best off holding onto him. This would be a decent return for the Alabama product, though.
There is still hope that Huerter can rediscover his elite 3-point stroke, and the Portland Trail Blazers’ draft pick they’d add in this deal could be lottery-bound. That pick would help mitigate the loss of their own first-rounder. If the Pelicans are to trade Jones, a deal with the Bulls makes a lot of sense.