The Chicago Bulls haven't made a trade deadline deal in three seasons.
That's three significant opportunities the franchise has missed out on to either strengthen or weaken its roster. Three chances to trade Zach LaVine. To trade Nikola Vucevic (after the questionable decision to offer him a contract extension in the first place).
To trade Patrick Williams—although, at least now, the Bulls have admitted it was a mistake to bring him back at all.
But Chicago has an opportunity to make things right between now and deadline day on Feb. 6. Trading LaVine still seems unlikely, but Vucevic reportedly has suitors. The Bulls could find a taker for Lonzo Ball and his $21.4 million expiring contract.
Torrey Craig and Jevon Carter may not bring much back, but even a protected second-round pick is more useful to Chicago than either of the two veterans.
One team near the bottom of the Eastern Conference—specifically, one that isn't shying away from its desire to rebuild—has played 2025 Trade Szn to perfection so far, and the Bulls have the pieces to replicate that approach. Now it's just a matter of the organization taking that path and making it happen.
Bulls can follow Brooklyn Nets approach to rebuild
There are still two-plus weeks to go until Feb. 6, but the Brooklyn Nets have already been busy.
Brooklyn had no desire to compete for a playoff spot this season after making a blockbuster deal to send Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks. The Nets had no qualms about letting other NBA franchises know their goal wasn't to win; it was to build for the future.
For whatever reason, the Bulls have not made that declaration, whether in-house or publicly. But they can quickly pivot and use Brooklyn's blueprint to finally make a statement.
On Dec. 15, the Nets traded point guard Dennis Schroder and a second-round pick to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for De'Anthony Melton and three future second-rounders. Melton was already injured and out for the season and is on an expiring $12.8 million contract, so it was an obvious play to gain cap space and draft picks for Brooklyn.
Exactly two weeks later, the Nets traded Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to the Los Angeles Lakers for D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three future second-round picks. Russell, like Melton, is on an expiring deal; so once again, Brooklyn traded a valuable asset for cap space and picks.
The Nets have one more valuable asset on the trade block, perhaps the most valuable of all: wing Cam Johnson. Brooklyn has reportedly set a steep price of at least two first-rounders for Johnson.
However, according to NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Nets don't believe they need to move Johnson unless someone blows them away with an offer. Why? Because they believe they're already bad enough to finish with one of the league's worst records and land a high draft pick in a loaded 2025 class.
The Bulls can pull off a similar plan.
Chicago can trade Vucevic. Maybe it lands two second-round picks instead of the three Brooklyn got in its pair of respective deals, but there's no reason the 34-year-old should still be with the franchise after Feb. 6.
Ball may be more difficult to move given the size of his contract, but teams with cap space—Brooklyn, oddly enough, or the San Antonio Spurs—could absorb $21.4 million to create more cap space for next season. The Spurs could use another veteran floor general to help lead Victor Wembanyama.
The Bulls should be able to find homes for Craig and Carter. For some reason, there's little interest around the league in guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, young players on team-friendly deals. As deadline day approaches, though, that could change. Dosunmu's market, in particular, could grow.
That leaves LaVine, who could essentially be the Bulls version of Brooklyn's Johnson. If Chicago moves Vucevic and Ball, even this All-Star-caliber version of LaVine isn't good enough to carry the Bulls to wins on his own.
The Nets feel no pressure to trade Johnson, while Chicago essentially can't trade its own star wing. But regardless of the reason, the conclusion should be the same: Neither team is good enough to win and (at least hopefully in the Bulls' case) good enough to lose a top-10 pick in this year's draft.