The Chicago Bulls enter NBA trade season having at least recognized that not even an Anthony Davis deal could change their fate. They not only remain without a franchise face, they have no obvious—or even imaginative—means of acquiring one.
This organization, which has essentially manufactured mediocrity assembly-line style ever since swearing it wouldn’t stand for exactly that, needs a top-to-bottom overhaul. This trade season is the time to make it happen, particularly since its 4-14 plunge after its 6-1 start should have shattered even the most optimistic dreams of fielding a competitive club any time soon.
A full-fledged rebuild is the way forward
The reset button is within reach. This hypothetical trade would get the overdue process started.
With the Bucks eggshell-walking around the latest will-he-or-won’t-he-want-out questions surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bulls should view that desperation as their path toward a brighter future.
An unprotected future first from a franchise with such an uncertain future is an invaluable asset. It’s the kind of trade chip that would only be obtainable for a full-fledged elite under anything near normal circumstances.
But Milwaukee’s situation is not at all normal. The Bucks have a generational talent with a ticking championship clock and not nearly a strong enough supporting cast to grant that wish. That’s why they’re perpetually aiming to please him, whether that’s forking over a fortune for Damian Lillard or later taking a $113 million to cut an injured Lillard loose to add Myles Turner—a solid player, but certainly not a special one.
Does that mean they’re backed into such a tight corner that they’d sacrifice such a valuable asset for a couple of non-stars? Yeah, actually. Or, at least, it’s feasible enough for the Bulls to at least try making the call.
They’ve seen where they can go with White as their leading scorer, and it’s obviously not far at all. They’ve seen the defensive impact Okoro can make, and it’s negligible at best (24th in defensive efficiency, which is actually five spots worse than last season per NBA.com).
These are non-essentials, in other words, particularly for a team that’s not even a part of the play-in picture. This deal, in turn, is a chance for Chicago to pivot toward something—anything—different than this.
By shipping out White, the Bulls could short-circuit their own offense in a way that helps them bottom out and hopefully nab a top pick in a seemingly loaded 2026 draft. By moving on from Okoro, they’d thin out the wing rotation in a way that would ensure developmental minutes would be available for lottery pick Noa Essengue, who logged just six NBA minutes before shoulder surgery prematurely ended his rookie season.
And, remember, those are the added benefits from a trade that would deliver one of the most coveted future firsts in the entire Association. Oh, and Kuzma technically, too, though he’d arrive as merely a money-matcher and the personification of a forgettable means to a fascinating end.
So, while this would serve as a clear split from this dreary existence, the real motivations behind the move go way beyond it. It’s past time to start a new era of Bulls basketball. Get. It. Done.
