The Chicago Bulls are shockingly dominating the 2026 trade deadline after turning Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric into Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley on Tuesday afternoon. It was a three-team trade, involving the Timberwolves and Pistons. Chicago got Huerter, Tre Jones, Zach Collins, and the rights to draft Noa Essengue for Zach LaVine and draft capital as part of last year's De’Aaron Fox trade. Flipping Huerter into Ivey is a massive win that makes the LaVine deal look genius.
Nobody wants to acquire LaVine. The Kings have been shopping him for months, but his $48.9 million player option for next season is scaring teams off. Chicago was wise to take advantage of Sacramento in the Fox deal. Nobody expected them to turn one of the pieces of the return into a former top-five draft pick still on his rookie contract.
The Bulls couldn’t have dreamed of turning LaVine into Ivey last year. The 23-year-old guard has struggled this season, but he averaged 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 0.9 steals in 29.9 minutes per game in 2025. There is still room to grow, and the Bulls wisely bought low.
Zach LaVine trade looks better for the Bulls after getting Jaden Ivey
Bulls were crushed for this trade one year ago. LaVine was putting up monster numbers, but every team knew the story. Bucket-getters who struggle on defense don’t have massive markets in the modern NBA. Chicago was wise to get their pick back and ensure they added a young piece to their core.
To double down and get a second young player made this genius. The Bulls have been stuck in the middle for too long. They should have entered a total rebuild years ago. Essengue’s unfortunate injury set him back, but he was always a long-term prospect. Chicago getting Ivey gives them someone ready to make an impact with potential to grow into a key piece of their next contending squad.
LaVine was never going to be that. The two-time All-Star got buckets and excited fans, but Chicago was always going to be a middle-of-the-pack team. They wisely moved on from his gigantic contract and now have multiple young pieces to show for it.
Coby White is likely out the door next as Chicago completely resets. They have Josh Giddey and Jaden Ivey to build around in the backcourt. White has drawn interest from several teams and could help a contender as the Bulls embrace the tank.
The Bulls have already won three trades this week. They dumped Nikola Vucevic, got draft capital for taking on salary, and traded Kevin Huerter for Jaden Ivey. Fans are questioning what happened to Arturas Karnisovas. After years of questionable moves, the Bulls are quietly crushing and are finally headed in the right direction.
The Chicago Bulls have made the Zach LaVine trade look even better. At the time, it looked like San Antonio stole De’Aaron Fox as the Kings and Bulls got fleeced. It turns out Chicago was a winner, and the deal keeps looking better after Jaden Ivey quietly became part of the return. Credit to the Bulls. They finally have it together.