There’s no way around it: the Chicago Bulls’ defense is bad, and there’s no realistic solution on the current roster to fix such a porous unit. Their reliance on 35-year-old Nikola Vucevic to anchor an already-shoddy defense is equally concerning. Without Vucevic in the middle—who isn’t a plus defender to begin with—Chicago surrendered an astonishing 78 points in the paint in a loss to the lowly New Orleans Pelicans.
Still, the Bulls’ lackluster interior defense stems just as much from their inadequate perimeter stoppers. Outside of Isaac Okoro, Chicago doesn’t have a reliable point-of-attack presence, which shows in how routinely they get torched by opposing wings.
Jonathan Isaac: The clear choice for the Bulls
The Bulls badly need either an intimidating shot-blocker or a long, rangy wing who can slow down opposing stars. Fortunately for them, there’s a player available via trade who can do both—Jonathan Isaac. As NBA insider Jake Fischer noted, “Rival cap strategists are thus increasingly pinpointing Isaac as a potential salary casualty in the Magic Kingdom given the expensive territory that looms…” before naming Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Desmond Bane as the three players who will make up the bulk of Orlando’s future payroll.
Isaac re-signed with the Magic more than a year ago on a five-year, $84 million deal. He’s still under contract for four more seasons and nearly $60 million, but much of that depends on him reaching certain game-appearance thresholds. If he doesn’t play at least 52 games in both the 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons, his salary becomes non-guaranteed.
After several injury-riddled seasons, Isaac has appeared in 17 of Orlando’s first 19 games this year. That puts him on an early pace to trigger his future guarantees—an outcome the Magic may not be eager to absorb for years to come. He’s also not a meaningful part of their rotation, averaging just 10.0 minutes per game, which makes him one of the more attainable trade targets in the league.
While Anthony Davis rumors have begun to swirl, Isaac would obviously be a far more attainable target. It likely wouldn’t take much to pry the 6-foot-10 forward from Orlando. In return, the Magic would probably prefer a simple salary-matching expiring contract. Something Chicago has no shortage of.
For example, a deal built around Kevin Huerter and a few second-round picks for Isaac and Jett Howard makes sense both financially and logically. Huerter has played well for Chicago, but he’s somewhat redundant on a roster already crowded with guards. Orlando, meanwhile, is motivated to move off Isaac’s contract, and the Magic recently declined Howard’s fourth-year option—signaling they don’t view him as a long-term piece.
While Huerter’s expiring contract is the main attraction, he also fills a long-standing shooting void for the Magic. Despite years of adding floor spacers through free agency, trades, and the draft, Orlando remains a middling three-point team, ranking 24th in makes and 19th in percentage.
Neither Isaac nor Howard has bolstered Orlando’s shooting. Howard, in particular, was expected to contribute—hailed as one of the best shooters in the 2023 NBA Draft—but he’s been a career 31.0 percent marksman. This season, however, he has made 38.0 percent of his triples.
It’s a trade that almost makes too much sense for both sides. Chicago would gain immensely from Isaac’s stout defense—he’s holding opponents to a 10.1 percent drop in field-goal percentage and a 17.7 percent decrease within 10 feet. On top of that, taking a flyer on Howard, a former lottery pick, is hard to pass up.