{"id":607665,"date":"2026-02-17T06:58:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T06:58:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/607665\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T06:58:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T06:58:17","slug":"bulls-2026-nba-trade-deadline-grade-after-6-deals-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/607665\/","title":{"rendered":"Bulls 2026 NBA trade deadline grade after 6 deals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bulls 2026 NBA trade deadline grade after 6 deals<\/a> appeared first on ClutchPoints<\/a>. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s so difficult to capture the Chicago Bulls<\/a>\u2019 NBA trade deadline dealings in so few words. But the Bulls have caused more fans to scratch their heads than any other team in the league did with the way they maneuvered before the deadline. It certainly seemed like Chicago was ripe for a fire sale considering that a few of their established players were on the final year of their contracts. But some of the trades they accepted are a bit too perplexing to the point of having to be seen to be believed.<\/p>\n

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Over the past few seasons, the Bulls have been part of the honorary four-team, play-in tournament club consisting of them, the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, and Orlando Magic. They do not have much in the way of young prospects who can lead the next contending iteration of the team, and their veteran players aren\u2019t good enough to lead a deep playoff run.<\/p>\n

However, as is the case for the Bulls, they couldn\u2019t seem to pull the trigger when they needed to and as a result, their roster is now a mishmash of players who don\u2019t look as though they have a long-term future there in the Windy City.<\/p>\n

To that end, here is a review of how the Bulls did prior to the trade deadline<\/a> and the grade they are deserving of for their maneuvers.<\/p>\n

Bulls trade their guards to bring in more guards, Hydra style\"Winslow<\/p>\n

Winslow Townson-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The Bulls were at a crossroads; they had plenty of players on expiring deals whom they could conceivably get some value for instead of letting them go in free agency for nothing. And it\u2019s not like those players wouldn\u2019t make any sort of impact for winning teams. But again, the problem was that the Bulls have waited too long and have been content for far too long to stay as a mediocre team, limiting their returns on the trade market.<\/p>\n

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Chicago had pulled off a comedy of moves<\/a> prior to the trade deadline that it wasn\u2019t quite clear what the end goal is for their front office. For starters, they brought in so many guards. And this is not being overblown in any capacity. They indeed traded for so many combo guards that it\u2019s difficult to envision most of them staying on the roster for next season.<\/p>\n

To begin with, the Bulls finally traded Nikola Vucevic away in a deal that was honestly a long time coming. It always hurt that the Bulls gave up Wendell Carter Jr., another starting-caliber big man in the NBA, and the first-round pick that became Franz Wagner to bring in Vucevic, but there was no reason for Chicago to hold on to Vucevic for too long.<\/p>\n

For Vucevic, the Bulls got Anfernee Simons and a 2026 second-round pick<\/a> from the Boston Celtics. That would have been a meh return as it was. But Chicago made it even worse for themselves by attaching a 2027 second-round pick to Vucevic.<\/p>\n

Chicago also held on to Coby White for far too long. All the Bulls could trade White for was a package from the Charlotte Hornets headlined by Collin Sexton, another guard, along with Ousmane Dieng and three second-round picks. Due to a failed medical from White that showed some seriousness regarding the calf injury he\u2019s currently experiencing, the Bulls had to settle for one fewer second-round pick<\/a> as a result.<\/p>\n

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Instead of trading White when his value was higher during the offseason, the Bulls had to settle for that return for one of their best players.<\/p>\n

And then Chicago made it worse for themselves; due to their dire big man situation, they had to flip Dieng<\/a>, a 22-year-old big man who could have promise, to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Nick Richards. Dieng has shone thus far in his brief time with the Bucks, while Richards is a known commodity \u2014 he\u2019s a backup big man who can only be utilized as a starter in case of emergency.<\/p>\n

The Bulls\u2019 guard wheeling and dealing did not stop there. They flipped Kevin Huerter, who was on an expiring contract too, to the Detroit Pistons for a return headlined by Jaden Ivey. While it\u2019s hard to rag on the Bulls for betting on another former lottery pick, especially considering that Ivey has shown promise in the past<\/a>, he\u2019s yet another guard who joins the team\u2019s logjam at the positions he\u2019s supposed to be playing in.<\/p>\n

Ivey also continues the Bulls\u2019 trend of gambling on former lottery picks who\u2019ve lost their luster; Chicago has brought in Ivey, Isaac Okoro, and Jalen Smith in recent years, and yet their original teams gave up on them for reasons that were pretty clear.<\/p>\n

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Speaking of gambling on former lottery picks, Rob Dillingham was somehow the primary piece the Bulls got in exchange for Ayo Dosunmu<\/a>, whose pace, shooting, and ballhandling would be such boons for a contending team.<\/p>\n

Sure, Chicago got four second-round picks for Dosunmu, who himself was drafted in the second round in the past, but Dillingham further complicates the sticky web that is the Bulls\u2019 backcourt picture.<\/p>\n

For those not counting at home, the Bulls now have the following players who are in need of minutes at the guard position: Josh Giddey, Simons, Sexton, Ivey, Dillingham, and Tre Jones. The situation is tenable at the moment since Giddey and Jones are on the mend, but when those players return, head coach Billy Donovan is about to have his work cut out for him.<\/p>\n

The Dalen Terry for Guerschon Yabusele swap<\/a> at least appears to be working in the Bulls\u2019 favor, with Yabusele being hell-bent on reviving his career in the Windy City.<\/p>\n

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Chicago got a total of eight second-round picks, which is nothing to scoff at. That at least should help them grease the wheels for future trades.<\/p>\n

But the fact that they failed to get at least one first-round pick for the likes of Vucevic, White, and Dosunmu is an utter failure. Chicago will have to pay Ivey big money for his next contract. Simons and Sexton are on expiring contracts. Patrick Williams\u2019 albatross of a deal is still on their books<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Bulls front office may have been cooking prior to the trade deadline, but sadly, the dish they came up with is going straight to the waste bin.<\/p>\n

Related: Bulls\u2019 Josh Giddey gets massive shoutout from LeBron James at All-Star Weekend<\/a><\/p>\n

Related: Rick Pitino sends heartfelt message after death of Billy Donovan\u2019s dad<\/a><\/p>\n

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