Ranking Bulls' Top Trade Targets After 2025 NBA Playoff Loss
The Chicago Bulls' quest to log the NBA's most mileage on the treadmill of mediocrity is apparently ongoing.
Despite shipping out some veterans here and there, the Bulls refuse to bottom out while simultaneously lacking the win-now talent to compete at a high level. Chicago racked up plenty of meaningless wins in March and April, only serving to worsen the club's lottery odds while greasing the gears for its exit from the Play-In Tournament.
The Bulls have officially gone fishing now following their loss to the Miami Heat. It's beyond time for this team to pick a direction and stick to it, so let's highlight and rank the top trade targets for a hopefully future-focused offseason in Chicago.
3. Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz
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If the Bulls are finally ready to consider life after Nikola Vučević, then they'll need a new anchor on the interior. In a perfect world, that player would provide a lot more resistance at the rim than Vučević ever has.
How about Walker Kessler? The 7-footer is a block or a board waiting to happen. He finally became a full-time starter this season and promptly averaged 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.
Now, there's a chance this production has earned him building-block status in Salt Lake City. Then again, the Jazz could be moments away from a top-to-bottom teardown depending on how they plan to proceed with (or without) former Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen. If Utah splits from Markkanen, then maybe no one is (or at least should be) totally off-limits.
There aren't a ton of layers to Kessler's game, but if the Bulls want what a traditional big man provides—paint protection, glass-cleaning and reliable finishing—the 23-year-old checks those boxes with ease. He'd rank even higher on this list if not for what could be an exorbitant asking price from Utah.
2. Isaiah Joe, Oklahoma City Thunder
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If the Bulls plan to move forward with Josh Giddey (an unrestricted free agent), then they need to maximize the spacing around their 22-year-old floor general.
Isaiah Joe ranks favorably among the best spacers in basketball. Since becoming a rotation regular in 2022-23, he has averaged 2.2 triples with a 41.2 percent splash rate. And he provides all that net-shredding while also being a competent and pesky player at the defensive end.
If he sounds like someone the Thunder should keep, that's because he probably is. Offseason strategizing starts with daydreaming, though, and there's a scenario in which Oklahoma City convinces itself it can find an even cheaper version of Joe, a cost-cutting measure to prepare for the upcoming paydays to Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.
Joe, who turns 26 this offseason, could become a staple for the Bulls, and his declining pay rate might make the Bulls' rebuilding road easier to navigate.
1. Draft Picks
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This wasn't a wholly wasted season in the Windy City. Not with a young core seemingly materializing around Giddey and rookie Matas Buzelis.
There isn't nearly enough young talent on the roster, though. Not for a team that's this far removed from the championship conversation.
The Bulls need as many dart throws at the draft board as possible. They should have different avenues to increase their collection, too. Nikola Vučević should attract the right scoring-needy suitor now that he's down to a single season left on his contract. Perhaps someone starved for shooting wants Kevin Huerter. Even Coby White is arguably worth discussing at the right price.
Chicago should see very few untouchables on its roster and act accordingly in trade talks. If teams would part with legitimate draft assets for players not named Buzelis or Giddey, that would be a conversation worth having and probably a deal worth executing.
