The national forecast called for trade clouds last week.
The problem is, locally those clouds have been pointed out since the start of the Bulls season.
Call it playing catch-up.
Multiple national reports surfaced recently suggesting that the Bulls have become even more aggressive in their efforts to trade Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic or Lonzo Ball, but all that’s really changed, according to a source, is they are starting to look at a more responsible asking price.
What hasn’t changed?
They will not attach first-round assets in a package to move LaVine and there is still a very silent market the Bulls are navigating.
Because of the talent at the top of the 2025 draft class — starting with Duke’s Cooper Flagg — there’s a growing number of teams in the middle and bottom of the league that will aggressively be looking to move assets as the Feb. 6 trade deadline gets closer.
So while Vucevic and LaVine have really improved their stock with their play this season, they are also standing in a pecking order. One insider believes that once the Pelicans show their hand with what they want to do with forward Brandon Ingram, the rest of the puzzle pieces could start falling in place.
Ingram is in the final season of a deal that will pay him $36 million this season, and even though it can be argued that LaVine and Vucevic are currently playing at a higher level, they’re also due to be paid at a higher guaranteed level.
Vucevic is only making $20 million this season but makes $21 million next year before his deal comes off the books. LaVine is at $43 million but is guaranteed $46 million next year and has the player option for $49 million for the 2026-27 season.
That’s why the focus for playoff contenders will first be Ingram, who reportedly switched to the same Klutch Sports Agency that LaVine switched to a few years ago.
When, and if, that domino falls that’s when things will get interesting for Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas.
Realistically, there’s a very good chance that Karnisovas will have to wait until the summer to try and move LaVine, but Vucevic’s play this season definitely has his value at bringing back multiple second-round picks and an expiring contract to counter the money.
If Ball can show he can handle the minutes off the bench — he did go through a full practice on Sunday after playing a season-high 22 minutes Friday — he’ll warrant a future second-round pick.
Karnisovas had a chance to collect second-round picks last season if he would have agreed to trade reserve big man Andre Drummond, but the organization made the erroneous decision to instead try and make a playoff push.
Drummond ended up leaving for free agency in July anyway, and signed with a Philadelphia team that was the one offering Karnisovas the second-round picks. Lesson learned … hopefully.
Karnisovas made his name back in Denver when the organization drafted a second-rounder named Nikola Jokic at pick No. 41 overall, and since taking over the exec chair for the Bulls he’s landed both Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips in Round 2.
Why not collect more?
Where it will get interesting for the Bulls is would they part with a package of their second wave of talent (Coby White, Dosunmu or Patrick Williams) if it meant bringing back first-round picks for the 2025 draft or even 2026.
While the ’25 draft class is the current motherlode, don’t sleep on ’26. Forward AJ Dybantsa reclassified so could be the No. 1 pick in that 2026 class, followed closely by Cameron Boozer — son of former Bull Carlos Boozer — and guard Darryn Peterson.