The latest trade deadline buzz is in, and it’s intriguing, even without a specific player involved. According to Zach Kram of ESPN, the Chicago Bulls’ trade deadline sentiment has audaciously shifted in recent days.
Bulls’ recent play sparks trade buzz
Chicago has reportedly been encouraged by its recent play, winning four of its last five, including victories over the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics. As a result, the team now seems to believe that acquiring talent, rather than offloading it, could be the best path forward ahead of the trade deadline.
Kram noted that “…it remains unclear whether the 23-23 Bulls plan to approach the deadline looking to acquire, offload or somewhere in between. Team sources say they still have flexibility and a number of avenues they could pursue at the deadline, and they're encouraged by their squad's recent play.” That leaves open the possibility that the historically trade-reluctant Bulls could either stand pat, as usual, or make a minor move to tweak their .500 roster.
Nonetheless, it’s a zag when many expected the Bulls to zig. Heading into the 2025-26 season, the thinking was that Chicago would extract value from a roster loaded with expiring contracts. Players like Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White could fetch substantial returns in a trade, and deals involving Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, and/or Nikola Vucevic would likely yield more in value than letting them walk in free agency.
Alas, here we are. ESPN didn’t outright declare that the Bulls won’t entertain offers for their trade candidates, but the gist is clear: Chicago’s performance over the next few games will shape its trade deadline outlook.
Deadline decisions loom for Chicago
Chicago creeping back to .500 has already sparked whispers that Dosunmu and White are off the table, but a strong five-game stretch from January 28 to February 3 could change the equation. If the Bulls go 3-2 or 4-1 and climb into seventh, or even sixth, in the Eastern Conference, becoming buyers would entirely be feasible.
Chicago is just 1.5 games behind sixth-place Philadelphia, who’ve gone 4-6 in their last 10. Even more crucial: the Bulls face a triple-header against the seventh-place Miami Heat, also 1.5 games ahead. With the standings this tight, the middle of the East is poised for plenty of movement over the next week.
Looking at the bottom third, Chicago sits four games ahead of 11th-place Milwaukee Bucks, who aren’t likely to climb the standings with Giannis Antetokounmpo out indefinitely. The 12th-place Charlotte Hornets have played well recently, but a bottom-five finish still appears unlikely for the Bulls unless the team undertakes a full-scale rebuild.
A full-scale rebuild also seems unlikely, as it always has under Artūras Karnišovas. The takeaway is that Chicago could still be buyers, and the coming week will go a long way in deciding whether the Bulls merely tread water or shake things up before the deadline.