The Chicago Bulls have several moves to make before the Feb. 6 trade deadline if they want to get the franchise going in what should be the right direction. Whether the front office believes losing games, trading expensive veterans, keeping a critical 2025 first-round draft pick and resetting the roster is, apparently, debatable.
Reportedly, the Bulls are scouring the market for teams interested in Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. Trading Vucevic is a realistic idea should Chicago pull the trigger. Dealing LaVine is more of a pipe dream, but the 29-year-old guard is playing at an All-Star level. His massive contract is a hindrance, sure, but it doesn't make him completely unattractive.
Then there's Lonzo Ball, who has a $21.4 million expiring contract and is proving to be a legitimate rotation floor general, even if he's not the same player he was three years ago. Torrey Craig and Jevon Carter serve no purpose on the Bulls' current roster and should be gone by Feb. 7.
In an ideal world—should Chicago find a way to make all of those trades by the end of the day on Feb. 6, here's what the team's new lineup could look like.
Hint: Young, fun and athletic.
Chicago Bulls' ideal lineup after perfect NBA trade deadline
A perfect 2025 trade deadline would include at least six moves:
- Trading Zach LaVine
- Trading Nikola Vucevic
- Trading Lonzo Ball
- Trading Jevon Carter
- Trading Torrey Craig
- Trading Patrick Williams
In this same ideal world, the Bulls would land at least a young player and one first-round pick, although that may be asking too much. A few promising prospects and a handful of second-rounders would suffice, all things considered.
That would leave a starting lineup that looks like this:
PG: Josh Giddey
Giddey would hold onto his role as the Bulls' starting point guard but would have less competition from Ball and more free reign with LaVine's iso possessions gone.
SG: Ayo Dosunmu
Dosunmu would arguably benefit most from these moves as he'd earn a spot in the starting lineup with LaVine gone. Chicago could use the 25-year-old's defensive acumen, and the fourth-year guard is in the middle of his best offensive season. More minutes could only help.
SF: Coby White
Head Coach Billy Donovan would likely go with a three-guard lineup, but with the 6-foot-5 Dosunmu and 6-foot-8 Giddey, keeping White in the starting five wouldn't be a dramatic hindrance. The North Carolina product would become the Bulls' go-to scorer with LaVine elsewhere.
PF: Matas Buzelis
Donovan has been hesitant to give his rookie forward legitimate playing time, but inserting him into this version of a starting lineup makes sense in a few ways.
One, the Bulls would clearly be prioritizing player development and draft pick positioning over wins, so why not give Buzelis more playing time; two, his athleticism, length and defense as a 6-foot-10 forward would be welcome in this group.
C: Jalen Smith
Smith has been perhaps the most overlooked player on the Bulls' roster this season. He's only started once, but with Vucevic gone, he should lock himself in as a regular. Per 36 minutes, Smith is averaging 19.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.