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The Bulls could end up being sellers at the trade deadline.
It has been a season of ups and downs for the Chicago Bulls. They started the year as a top team in the Eastern Conference. However, the Bulls endured two different long losing streaks and have found themselves back in the Play-In games. After beating the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, Chicago has now won five games in a row for the second time this year. Despite working back to .500, the Bulls are at the center of trade talks.
Chicago has been mentioned quite a bit this offseason when it comes to trades. Whether they are being rumored to buy or sell, the Bulls are a team that should be active before the February 5th trade deadline.
When it comes to their trade planes, the Bulls have kept their cards relatively close to the chest. However, there are rumors that Chicago will sell at the deadline. ClutchPoints‘ NBA Insider Brett Siegel believes the Bulls will be the biggest sellers in the Eastern Conference.
The Bulls are still in the playoff race heading into the new year. But they seem to be keen on selling some of their expiring contracts.
Who Can The Bulls Sell Off?
GettyCoby White could be traded before the deadline.
Being that the Bulls are set to be sellers at the deadline, there are a few players they can trade away, while still getting a good return.
The one that has been mentioned the most is Coby White. White’s contract is up after the season, and he is set to make north of $20 million per year as a free agent. Chicago is open to trading White, which means they are most likely not going to resign him.
White is averaging 20.8 points per game, which would be a career-high. But his three-point shooting is sitting at a career-low 31.0%. Still, the 25-year-old has shown flashes of being an elite scorer. Having him as a half-year rental might deter some teams from trading for the guard, but there is always the chance of an extension if a trade happens.
Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, Ayo Dosunmu, and Nikola Vucevic are all unrestricted free agents at the end of the year, as well. Of these four players, Vucevic seems to be the most likely to move. He is averaging 15.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. He is a solid center and would help almost any team in the NBA.
If there is interest in Collins, Huerter, or Dosunmu, it would probably be as a sixth man. Collins would be a solid backup center, while Huerter is the shooter playoff teams need off the bench. Dosunmu can be a great defender, while still making a few things happen offensively.
If Chicago decides to sell, teams will have plenty of options to choose from.
Is Selling a Smart Move?
GettyThe Chicago Bulls are currently riding a five-game win streak.
For a team with playoff hopes, selling is the absolute wrong decision. The Bulls sit ninth in the East, but trail the sixth-place team by just 1.5 games. Whether or not they are true sellers will depend on how the team performs in January.
Nonetheless, Chicago is expected to sell off their talent. With that in mind, the Bulls would have to be okay with missing the playoffs (not including the Play-In games). The rebuild would not be a full one, but Chicago’s playoff chances will go down the drain if they sell.
There is no predicting whether or not the trades will work out, which means it is hard to say if the mindset is a smart move. The only thing we know for certain is that Chicago is set to be one of the bigger sellers in the Eastern Conference.
Cam Zunkel Cam Zunkel has been a sports journalist since 2022. He covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Cam also covers multiple MLB teams for On SI – part of the Sports Illustrated Brand. He is a former collegiate baseball player with two stops in the independent Frontier League. More about Cam Zunkel
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