It is completely reasonable for Chicago Bulls fans to start spitballing Chet Holmgren trade ideas in their trade machine of choice after witnessing the Oklahoma City Thunder lose the 2026 NBA Western Conference Finals, in agonizing fashion, to the San Antonio Spurs.
Despite how Holmgren’s 2025-26 NBA season ended, he individually put together an NBA season resume most NBA players strive for: NBA All-Star Game selection, All-NBA team selection, and NBA All-Defensive team selection.
On face value, Holmgren appears to be an instant franchise upgrade if somehow the Bulls were to land a trade to acquire him. However, why would a rebuilding franchise like the Bulls surrender assets of any kind to acquire Holmgren? The 2025-26 Bulls were a bottom-barrel franchise with 23rd-ranked offense and 22nd-ranked defense in the NBA, according to Basketball Reference.
One player, regardless of talent level, does not solve the team problems the Bulls displayed in their 60th NBA campaign. Holmgren also is not a primary option NBA player who can fuel an offense, which was painfully obvious in the 2026 NBA Western Conference Finals.
More specifically, Holmgren’s career usage rate is 21.8% according to Basketball Reference, which means Holmgren takes on a mostly average NBA workload when you consider that five NBA players could equally have a 20% stake in game usage. All NBA rebuilds amount to a search for a bona fide creator that fuels basketball advantages on offense.
Holmgren is a fine secondary offensive contributor, and the Bulls have effectively specialized in acquiring, AT BEST, secondary offensive contributors over the last six NBA seasons. Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey are all the complementary players that need to be on the Bulls roster for the foreseeable future. The Bulls need their superstar ASAP, hopefully via the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Even more specificity on what Chet doesn’t answer for the Bulls
Chet Holmgren is a 7’1” 208-pound power forward. For two seasons, Bulls fans have witnessed 6’8” 209-pound Matas Buzelis take up power forward minutes to varying degrees of effect.
Matas’ dunks are box office, and his athleticism to take away shots at the rim is awe-inspiring at times. At the same time, there are just as many examples of Matas getting bumped off from an on-ball defensive assignment or struggling to navigate a ball screen.
If Matas is a long-term roster-building priority for the Bulls, the last thing they need to do is acquire another slender-framed forward that can’t be a primary creator on offense.
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