The Chicago Bulls, for whatever reason, don't appear interested in acquiring Peyton Watson. But they should at least be intrigued by the idea of trading for his Denver Nuggets teammate Cameron Johnson.
On paper, Watson is an ideal add for the Bulls — a 23-year-old rising 3-and-D swingman with borderline elite athleticism and two-way potential. He would be an interesting building block alongside Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis.
Johnson, however, is a different archetype of player at a different stage of his career. But that's not necessarily a bad thing for Bulls executive VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham.
The former North Carolina standout is more gettable, presents less long-term risk and would still be valuable to Graham, albeit in a different way.
Bulls should inquire about Denver Nuggets' Cameron Johnson
Purely from a future-building perspective, Watson would be a smart fit for Chicago — but that doesn't mean Johnson would be a bad one.
Watson is still only 23 years old and coming off a breakout 2025-26 season. His budding scoring arsenal and physical profile would seem to be a good match for what Graham wants in a player, and he would give head coach Tiago Splitter a trio of forwards with versatile but distinct skill sets.
Johnson, on the other hand, has a very specific profile: He's a prolific 3-point shooter. And other than perhaps Norman Powell, the Bulls have exactly zero of those on their roster.
At age 30, Johnson doesn't possess the same upside as Watson, but is arguably a better fit for Chicago in the embryonic stage of its rebuild.
Whereas Watson will command a hefty long-term payday on top of the assets needed to pry him out of Denver, Johnson sits on a $23.1 million expiring contract. If things go south, Chicago can simply let him walk this summer and add more cap space to their ledger.
If Johnson plays well, he would fill an immediate need as a floor spacer and would help the Bulls steer clear of the lottery relegation zone while aiding in the development of Wilson, Buzelis and Josh Giddey.
And while Graham would have to part with some valuable assets to land Watson, that wouldn't be the case for Johnson. A package of Tre Jones, Isaac Okoro and a lottery-protected first-round pick could be enough.
And assuming he contributes at a reasonably high level, the Bulls could flip Johnson to a contender at the trade deadline and recoup some of the assets they gave away in the first place.
Watson is the more attractive player, but it doesn't seem like Graham is too interested in acquiring him. Finding a deal to land Johnson would be a Plan B worth exploring.
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