The Bulls have been receiving interest in point guard Tre Jones and forward/center Jalen Smith over the past few weeks, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. While Jones seems to be available, Poe suggests the Bulls are unlikely to trade Smith unless they get an appealing offer.
Both Jones and Smith have guaranteed contracts for next season. Jones’ deal also features a $8MM team option for 2027/28.
According to Poe, any of Chicago’s players on expiring contracts could be on the move prior to the deadline if the Bulls receive a “reasonable return.” The Bulls already showed a willingness to take on unwanted salary when they agreed to acquire Dario Saric for a pair of second-round picks (they’re waiving Jevon Carter to make roster space).
However, that doesn’t mean the Bulls are going to make trades just for the sake of it, particularly one that involves a player like Coby White, multiple sources tell Poe.
Most of the players on Chicago’s roster are in their mid-20s and have been in the league for several years. Head coach Billy Donovan says the team is focused on acquiring more young talent.
“We have to keep building out with younger people,” Donovan said, per Poe. “I don’t think there’s any question about that from a roster standpoint. … If you’re just talking about the guys that are here that are going to be under contract, they’re going to need more. So however those conversations take place, whether it’s in July or whether it’s at the trade deadline, I think the front office is looking to try to build it out as best they can.”
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- The Kings had opportunities to trade Keon Ellis for multiple second-round picks, but they wanted to unload Dennis Schröder‘s contract and value De’Andre Hunter‘s size and length, viewing him as a better positional fit moving forward, sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. As Siegel reported a few days ago, the Lakers also had interest in Hunter, but they were leery of taking on the $24.9MM he’s owed next season without receiving draft compensation in return, so they backed out of conversations with the Cavaliers.
- According to Siegel, the Kings are viewed as the “biggest sellers” at the deadline, and they have been making trade calls involving Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk. Of the three players, Sacramento is most motivated to move Monk, Siegel adds (via Twitter). A “few” teams — most notably the Raptors — have some interest in Sabonis, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a market for DeRozan or Monk, per Siegel.
- The Cavaliers continue to dangle Lonzo Ball in trade talks, according to Siegel (Twitter link). The veteran guard has had a disappointing first season in Cleveland and earns $10MM this season, with a $10MM team option for ’26/27.
- As Siegel observes, if the Cavaliers decide to retain Ellis long term (he will be extension-eligible on Feb. 9), that could have an impact on the futures of Sam Merrill and Max Strus. While I’m skeptical the Cavs would move Merrill given how well he’s played this season when healthy, Strus has yet to play in ’25/26 due offseason foot surgery and ’26/27 is the final year of his contract. Siegel suggests those sorts of conversations would likely wait until the summer and may depend on what happens with Ellis.
- The Nets appear to be reluctant to trade Day’Ron Sharpe, but the backup center has drawn interest from the Lakers, Raptors, Celtics and Pacers, Siegel reports.
I like Hunters skill set and think on paper he is a good fit with Keegan Murray as the two forwards for the Kings.
It’s also good in the sense that they should have a top 4 pick (currently best odds for number 1), and that if they miss on Peterson and add a forward in Boozer/Wilson/Dybansta then Hunter wouldn’t be hard to drop to the bench either. It’s a marginal move dropping Keon but for next season you now don’t have to extend him and your better set for whatever prospect you bring in.
That said the biggest need they still have is at point guard. You need someone to run the offence and lead this team especially with a top pick likely coming in next season. It’s the best market there’s probably ever been for trading for an all star guard. Trae Young just went to next to nothing. Ja Morant is available, Garland could be available, LaMelo Ball could be available and Coby White is there.
I know Sabonis has been your main guy for a few season now but no one wants LaVine/DeRozan/Monk so it has to be him that goes. Raynaud and Cardwell have both looked good in their rookie seasons. You kinda just need to pull the trigger in order to get out of this slump and try be better next season.
I don’t see the Cavs wanting Sabonis with Mobley and Allen. Even the Grizzlies they have Edey and are a young team. So I’d be thinking first choice Sabonis for LaMelo and second choice some Bulls deal.
If the Kings land the #1 pick and need a PG, you draft Darryn Peterson, that’s the move, no cap. If they get #2, you gotta make the decision between Boozer and Dybantsa, but either way you lock in and build the whole squad around them. Like don’t even try to “fit” them into some system, nah, you let them cook and everyone else gotta adjust.
If they fall to #4, you take Williams, deadass he fits anywhere, instant plug-and-play, no drama. Any lower than that? Then it’s basically Flemings or Brown and you’re just praying the Kings don’t sell the draft and start doing Kings things again.
They would probably need to go with Boozer. AJ’s body seems to similar to Keegan and Murray. Sabonis will be moved so they need to get another person that can have back to basket game.
So get a younger, less developed copy of Sabonis?
Meant Keegan and Hunter
Yeah Peterson is by far the best he’s going to be all nba in no time.
I just long term see him as more of a 2 and hence would still be looking to add a point guard.
If it’s 2/3 then yeah AJ or Boozer and personally I’d probably go Boozer, Sam as you just for the bigger body. At 4 it Caleb Wilson, I really really like his game and honestly wouldn’t be surprised if looking back on this draft in the future he’s the second best player.
Other than that the Kings shouldn’t be looking to win any games, you’ve got the best chance of winning the draft even if you slip you 2-4 is fine. The team with the worse regular season record can only fall as low as 5 so you should be fine asking as you don’t mess up losing games haha
Darryn Peterson can play either but at PG he’s fire, not pure point god like prime CP3, but more like a bigger, deadlier Devin Booker who can initiate and cook defenses. He’s gonna be problematic in the league. fr,fr
Even then in that comparison I see Booker as a better SG than point.
Should be looking to develop Peterson into an Anthony Edward’s clone.
Shooter, slasher, athletic, good defender and offers some playmaking but ideally has a guard next to him for that
Kings are always against the flow. Most teams that get new arena or stadium and new owners usually start to make playoffs and become winning franchise. They seem to be the same as usual no matter what.
That’s called consistency, some folks really appreciate it!
Tre and Jalen Smith have both overplayed the value of their current deals. If I’m AKME I don’t trade either unless you fetch a 1st from a team thats desperate. It doesn’t need to be in the lottery, but both have been amazing this year with their energy, high efficiency and overall play. Tre is a fringe starter on tesms and Smith is a 6th man candidate if he had enough FGA. I know all fans overhype their players but Smith was absolutely you know what last year and I was expecting this Smith for last year. Better late than never.
Now trade Vu for a 2nd and start doing work.
Raz-Thinking about trading Jones and Smith just shows how insane this FO really is. I have no doubt this story is true because only the Bulls would be this stupid. They have been 2 of the most important players this year and totally signed and affordable next year. Next year? Fine. This year? Idiotic. I would trade Ayo because I think the Bulls could pull off a rare feat that hardly ever happens. They could trade him for something and then actually get him back in FA. It’s more than 50-50 that he would come back here next year and the Bulls can easily pay him what he’s worth. Let’s face it. Vuj will be here and they get nothing. They love him. I wouldn’t be shocked to see them re sign him.
You cant sign a player you traded, unless they are traded again before becoming a FA, for an entire year, so they couldn’t do that with Ayo, unless he got traded a 2nd time
I’d say that’s total crap but not knowing hardly any of the NBA ridiculous rules I’ll say it’s crap and reserve the right to actually look it up. But it would make the term UFA, The key word being unrestricted stupid. Maybe a question for the chat tomorrow.
…this is a rule; I double checked it was still a thing. Just relaying correct info, but it doesnt hurt to ask others if you dont believe me/don’t have time to look it up. It is 1000% factual though
@formerlyz That’s not accurate. That restriction only applies if a player is waived — not if his contract expires.
Is that new? I thought that didnt matter either way. I thought I looked it up as well, but I’ll obviously defer to you. That has definitely been a thing in the past though
Its the ilgauskas rule. Its supposed to be even if the contract expires
It’s always just been about a player who is waived after being acquired via trade — like Ilgauskas after he was traded to (and waived by) the Wizards in 2010.
Here’s how the rule is written in the CBA (pg. 265):
“If a Team trades a player and the assignee Team subsequently places the player on waivers, the assignor Team shall not be permitted to sign the player to a new Contract (or claim the player off of waivers) before the earlier of: (i) one (1) year following the date all conditions to the trade were satisfied; or (ii) the July 1 following the last Season of the player’s Player Contract.”
There are also some rules related to teams not being able to re-sign guys for certain periods after they’re bought out and/or waived-and-stretched, but neither of those would apply in a case like this hypothetical with Dosunmu.
So b/c July 1 comes first, its fine? Why has thos been an issue in other circumstances then? This is a link from when I originally looked it up, and its noted that even if the contract expires within the restricted period, it doesnt matter, but I am also unclear on the July 1 (FA period) part
link to google.com
Regardless, I defer to you; I just want to clarify that I understand this, since I have been talking about it for years, and dont want to make the mistake of confidently claiming false information, and spreading it, like I guess I apparently did here
Maybe the other instances were all mid season, and I am just misremembering situations, and none of them involved contracts expiring
@formerlyz I think the AI overview is a little different each time, but here’s what I’m seeing:
“Yes, the rule generally still holds that a team cannot reacquire a player they traded away for one year from the date of the trade, or until the following July 1 after their contract expires, whichever is earlier.”
That’s saying the same thing that the rule I cited above is. So in this hypothetical of a Dosunmu trade, his contract expires June 30, 2026, meaning “the following July 1” would be July 1, 2026. Since that’s earlier than the one-year mark, that’s when he’d be permitted to re-sign with the Bulls.
I was referring to the part where it mentions contract expiration, but fair enough; I feel like this makes previous situations with guys on 1 year deals that couldn’t go back to certain places make no sense, but maybe I am misremembering those situations and they got traded and cut first, not expirations, then the offseason came, then they still couldn’t sign
If anything, now it feels less of a likely scenario for most situations, just b/c nobody ever really has cap space, and unless its a minimum level guy, you likely arent bringing back someone in a scenario like this often
Nope that’s the rule..
I see what he’s saying and I did ask the question in the chat before I saw Luke’s post here. The rule basically stops a team from trading a guy to a team to satisfy the money part, Then the team waives the guy and he can’t re sign with the team that traded him until the next fiscal year. NOW that makes sense as it basically skirts the trade rule. So I get that. But when your contract runs out you CAN sign with anyone hence the U in UFA. Thanks. Even though the trade rules are all stupid in the first place.
Lakers want a first round pick if they take Hunter’s contract.
Now Kings do have a first round pick to offer Lakers if they take Hunter’s contract.
Lakers are the smartest
I like Tre smooth in Boston taking over a starter. He distributes the bal as well as score when needed. The piece to help them win the championship.
Please please please come to Boston, Jevon!