Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and Lonzo Ball have been the Bulls players most frequently cited this season as trade candidates, but head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas would be open to moving just about anyone on the roster if he thinks the deal is in the team’s best long-term interests and helps Chicago keep its top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick, says Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
Cowley identifies Matas Buzelis as the only exception, but clarifies that the rookie forward isn’t “completely untouchable” either.
The report doesn’t come as a real surprise. Chicago has also reportedly made forward Patrick Williams available, and Cowley suggested last month that guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu aren’t off the table in trade talks.
The Bulls also aren’t likely to be especially attached to reserves like Jalen Smith, Jevon Carter, Chris Duarte, Torrey Craig, and Talen Horton-Tucker, while youngsters Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips haven’t established themselves as long-term keepers.
That leaves Josh Giddey, who was viewed as Chicago’s probable point guard of the future when the team acquired him last summer from Oklahoma City in exchange for Alex Caruso. Giddey didn’t sign a rookie scale extension last fall and has had an up-and-down first season as a Bull, but I’d still be a little surprised if he’s moved by next Thursday, given that his value on an expiring contract would be limited.
A source tells Cowley that Karnisovas has come down to some extent on what teams viewed as “unrealistic” asking prices for his top trade chips earlier in the season, though that doesn’t mean he’s simply willing to sell off players to the highest bidder.
Discussing the latest on Vucevic within a trade rumor round-up on his Substack, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reports that the Bulls are still seeking a first-round pick in return for the veteran center. Stein describes the Warriors as “at the front of the line” of Vucevic suitors, but says Golden State has been unwilling to offer more than second-round capital to this point.
As for LaVine, he was at the center of one of the season’s earlier notable trade rumors when a report in mid-December indicated that the Nuggets had real interest in the Bulls guard. However, LaVine has been on a tear since then, further increasing his value by staying healthy and averaging 27.0 points per game on .524/.467/.786 shooting over his past 18 games. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has heated up too, putting up 21.3 PPG and 5.9 APG with a .485/.404/.913 shooting line during the same time frame.
As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes, Murray’s resurgence will likely make “big-game hunting less of a priority” for the Nuggets, while LaVine’s heater will make it more difficult for Denver to meet Chicago’s asking price. So the odds of a trade sending LaVine to the Nuggets look slimmer than they did a month ago.
In case you missed it, we wrote about another Bulls-related rumor earlier today, passing along word that Chicago has talked to the Suns about Bradley Beal.
So do it.
The team sucks! How could you think there would be any untouchables?
I would not mind trading for Dalen Terry as a heat fan
Please take him
Agreed. PLEASE take him.
Yup; terry makes nice drives and defensive plays here and there but still can’t shoot or dribble.
The only players I’d want to keep are Buzelis, Phillips, & Ayo, w Coby and Giddey as asterisks.
Assuming Giddey won’t get a massive contract I’m fine w keeping him, and w Coby it comes down to what they could get for him. If someone blows Bulls away w a trade offer, sure, but not worth dumping him for no rzn.
Coby may be close to a finished product by now, but I do think Ayo has another level he can reach as a Derrick White type
No player on any team is truly untouchable though I imagine it would take a lot to pry away Coby White. His production far excels his contract and he’s young enough to be a part of anybody’s future.
“No player on any team is truly untouchable”
You’re ridiculously literal.
I wasn’t saying you can’t physically touch a player though you might get arrested but even Nikola Jokìc and Victor Wembanyama could be traded for if one were to make a truly ridiculous offer.
Surprised Coby White isn’t considered untouchable, or at least close given the jump he took recently. Though I suppose at nearly 25 he’s no longer considered the same way, and he’d bring back a lot in trade.
He has regressed a little this year, but would be a great 6th man / instant offense guy for any contender.
Agreed. White plays hard and can do some things but White is nowhere near SGA, Brunson or Donovan Mitchell, not even close. White is a solid role player but can’t carry a team.
Bulls ownership has a lot of explaining to do…
GarPax anyone?
Was this a question people had?
Missed opportunity….untoucha-bull
Is the coach untouchable. How is he still there.
Williams >>>>>> to Cavs.
No. With that contract, no interest whatsoever. If he was on a league minimum, maybe.
The only untouchable is jerry… So sad to be bulls fan.
frustrating that everyone else saw this 2 years ago and the front office is just now catching up. im still mad about caruso for no picks… its all bad
The problem here is that the bulls will want a big return on some of these guys, the only player that could have fetched such a price, and by some reports, the offers were there, was Caruso, but ultimately the bulls gave their only legit trade chip for nothing, with as many picks as OKC has, they should have robbed them blind, but got nothing in return. I don’t see them moving anyone for anything of value, maybe just trying to cost-cut, no one wants Lavines contract and I’m sure they’re trying to get more than Vuc is worth from teams that want him, but have nothing to really offer. They may be open to trading anyone, but I doubt anyone wants to pay their set prices, the window closed on trying to move most of the bulls players, who would be third stringers on other teams if we’re being honest
BTW, you do realise that Giddey is better than Caruso, so they didn’t give him away for nothing, right?
Also, I can’t imagine any team giving a first round pick for Caruso, much less a bunch of them.
better how?