We are in the twilight of the 2026 NBA offseason and also at the dawn of considering roster-reshaping trade implications that will persist into the 2027 NBA trade deadline.
As an author note, I have cited the Los Angeles Lakers as a prospective trade partner throughout the 2026 NBA offseason for the Chicago Bulls, and that circumstance doesn’t appear to be expiring anytime soon.
Wednesday, a report from ClutchPoint’s Brett Siegel mentioned that newly acquired Bulls guard Buddy Hield was under consideration by the Lakers to acquire via trade during the 2026 NBA offseason, a trade idea that obviously never came to fruition.
Reports of Lakers interest in Bulls forward Jalen Smith colored the 2026 NBA offseason tea leaves, and now the reported Lakers consideration for acquiring Hield sets up a set of conditions in which Bryson Graham should finally get on the phone with his Lakers counterpart Rob Pelinka and figure out a trade package that mutually advances the 2026-27 season goals for both franchises.
A clearer picture on Lakers trade targets
In the refined aftermath of Bryson Graham’s trade of Rob Dillingham to acquire Hield and insightful 2026 Chicago Bulls media day comments, Bulls fans should have a revised sense of what sort of trade return the Bulls would target from the Lakers. Here’s who shouldn’t be considered a Bulls target: Dalton Knecht.
Another author note: earlier in the 2026 NBA offseason, I saw merit in the Bulls acquiring Knecht as a cheap player development flyer that had the potential to resurrect his shooting abilities while adding length (6’6”) to the roster. However, with the decisive jettison of Rob Dillingham by Graham, there’s probably little appetite to add another player development project to the roster.
Jaden Hardy and Bronny James are also names that don’t fit the emerging organizational clarity that Bryson Graham is seeking, despite their respective shooting abilities.
Who the Bulls should target on the Lakers roster
Judging by Graham’s desire to surround his priority rookies, Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain, with a competent roster, the Bulls are likely intent on targeting veteran player returns in trades to keep the player development focus on Wilson, Swain, two-way contract guys, and perhaps Noa Essengue.
Matisse Thybulle would be a trade return that hypothetically aligns with Graham’s SLAP philosophy of roster building.
At his peak powers, Thybulle was a defensive specialist wing for the Philadelphia 76ers, capturing two NBA All-Defensive Team selections (2020-21 and 2021-22), who was capable of delivering entry-level Alex Caruso-type defensive impact. Having Thybulle on the roster to teach the dark arts of NBA defense would be a great addition to the Bulls locker room during the 2026-27 NBA season.
To hypothesize a trade to acquire Thybulle, the Bulls could act on the Lakers' reported interest in Jalen Smith by trading Smith for Thybulle, some undetermined amount of draft capital, plus Dalton Knecht for salary-matching purposes only.
Knecht’s contract is currently only guaranteed for the 2026-27 season, so the Bulls in this scenario would immediately waive Knecht.
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