With the new NBA Draft Lottery odds likely to take effect next season, there’s no real reason for the Chicago Bulls to completely tank. So, in order to take the next step as a franchise, they should take some risks in trades. One of those risks could be New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson.
Williamson is great when he’s on the court. But that’s the problem: He’s not always on the court. He actually played 62 games this season, but still, there is an inherent risk when it comes to the Williamson business. Perhaps the Pelicans could be interested in exiting said business, and if they were to be, the Bulls should make a call.
Maybe the price would be too high, but adding a guy like Williamson could have the potential to reshape the Bulls organization.
Bulls could consider a Zion Williamson trade
The Bulls don’t have a star player right now. Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis are the closest they have, and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson could enter that mix if (or, once) they select him at No. 4 in the 2026 NBA Draft.
However, there’s more room for the Bulls to take risks now. Tanking isn’t going to be nearly as useful as it was in the past, so they might as well look to add some star power to the roster.
Williamson’s contract isn’t even fully guaranteed. How much he would be owed, should the Bulls choose to waive him, is based on how many games he played the season prior. So, if Williamson did get hurt, the Bulls could, in theory, have a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Obviously, that would only be relevant if things went horribly wrong, but the Bulls would hope the opposite happened. They would hope Williamson could bring some bounce to the city.
He’s one of the most unique stars in the league. His interior force is unlike anything the league has seen outside of some of the NBA’s greatest, but he doesn’t exactly have the same body as guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Shaquille O’Neal.
Still, a downhill Williamson is a dangerous asset to have, and if the Pelicans aren’t too high on him as part of their future, perhaps the Bulls could get him for a reasonable price.
As the new lottery odds get put in place, there’s a chance that lower-level teams start making riskier moves in hopes of improving, as their odds won’t be impacted too much.
The Bulls could look to do that this summer. And there may not be a better high-risk, high-reward player in the NBA than Williamson.
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