With the NBA trade deadline now just days away, the calm before the storm is setting in. Last season’s early moves were largely forgettable, but everything changed in the final week when the Luka Dončić mega-deal turned everything upside down.
Of course, the Chicago Bulls joined the action when they sent Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings in a three-team deal that included seven players and seven draft picks, and ultimately sent De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio.
That move ultimately proved to be the Bulls’ lone splash. Chicago held onto several players long viewed as potential trade chips, most notably Nikola Vučević and Lonzo Ball. While Ball was eventually moved, Vučević remains, and the list of movable pieces has only grown. With so many expiring contracts on the roster, Chicago now has no shortage of trade options.
Consequently, it’s widely expected that the Bulls will make a move. That sentiment should be taken with a grain of salt… considering, well, it’s the Bulls. Still, it hasn’t stopped writers, podcasters, and just about everyone else from concocting mock trades that could be mutually beneficial for all parties involved, including Chicago.
A wild four-team scenario for Chicago
Perhaps the wildest, yet most plausible, trade idea surfaced with 10 days remaining until the deadline, when Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus proposed a massive four-team deal involving the Bulls, Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Dallas Mavericks.
There’s a lot to unpack in this four-team, eight-player, two-draft-pick deal, but the breakdown is fairly straightforward. Chicago receives Bennedict Mathurin, Yves Missi, and Kevon Looney. The Pacers land Daniel Gafford and Jevon Carter, while also generating a $9.2 million trade exception by moving Mathurin. New Orleans picks up Jarace Walker, Dante Exum, and a protected 2026 first-round pick from Chicago, along with additional trade exceptions. Finally, Dallas acquires Dalen Terry, Portland’s 2026 first-round pick via the Bulls, and more trade exceptions.
All in all, through Bulls-colored goggles, Chicago would send out Carter, Terry, a top-five protected 2026 first, and Portland’s lottery-protected pick (likely to convey as a second-rounder) in exchange for Mathurin, Missi, and Looney. To accommodate the extra roster spot created by taking back three players for two, Pincus notes that Chicago would waive Julian Phillips in this hypothetical.
How the trade would impact the Bulls
At first glance, trading the Bulls’ 2026 first-rounder might make you grimace. It’s top-five protected, but honestly, it’d take a miracle for it to crack the top five. I ran 30 lottery simulations on Tankathon, and Chicago landed 14th every single time. Bottom line: the Bulls would still be sending a first-rounder.
Still, if a hypothetical trade landed on your desk swapping Noa Essengue for Mathurin or Missi, you’d probably say yes without hesitation. Essengue has upside (he’s only 19), but this illustrates why a late-lottery first-rounder isn’t as precious as it sounds. Quality players can come from that range, sure, but getting Mathurin (23) or Missi (21) feels like the safer move, both for now and down the line.
Mathurin would give the Bulls an ideal complement to Josh Giddey in the backcourt. He’s a relentless downhill attacker who can knock down threes at a high rate. While that might sound a lot like Coby White, Mathurin profiles more as a true wing on both ends of the floor, which fits Chicago well. He may not yet be a better defender than White, but his elite athleticism gives him the potential to be.
Missi, meanwhile, is the perfect complement to Chicago’s roster. It’s been said for years, but the Bulls still desperately need a rim protector. Missi could fill that void as a rim-running, interior deterrent, with the potential to anchor the defense for years to come.
Lastly, Looney serves as a salary-matching piece in the trade. Pairing him with Missi would create a bit of a big-man logjam in Chicago, but with Vucevic and Zach Collins set to hit free agency after this season, the conundrum would only last for a few months.
Looking ahead for Chicago
All in all, this hypothetical four-team trade would give the Bulls an intriguing mix of talent for both now and the future. Mathurin adds a dynamic scoring wing, Missi addresses a long-standing defensive need, and Looney helps make the deal work financially while providing some short-term depth.
Chicago would part with little more than a late-lottery first-rounder. Carter and Terry are likely gone this offseason anyway. The bigger question isn’t what the Bulls are giving up, but what Mathurin would bring: another expiring contract. With Chicago already facing several impending free agents, the team would eventually have to decide whether to re-sign Mathurin or let him test restricted free agency, which could culminate in him accepting a qualifying offer.