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The Chicago Bulls may end up with a few of the NBA’s most attractive trade assets by the time the Feb. 5 trade deadline rolls around. <\/p>\n
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Front offices are struggling to find ways to cram superstar salaries into deals within the confines of the CBA — but Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and several other Bulls players would give opposing teams no such headaches.<\/p>\n
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Anthony Davis of the Dallas Mavericks, Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks, Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz, and, of course, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, are a few of the splashy names spinning around the rumor mill. <\/p>\n
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Lesser stars like Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. and Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga could be moved at some point <\/a>over the next month as well.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But Chicago Executive VP of Basketball Operations Arturas Karni\u0161ovas has an advantage that those organizations do not.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n As Tim Bontemps of ESPN<\/em> points out, the size of superstar contracts makes finding legal trades<\/a> difficult, especially in-season. One Eastern Conference executive tells Bontemps, “I don’t see an eventful trade deadline.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Davis is set to make $58.5 million next year and has a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28. Antetokounmpo ($54.1 million), Markkanen ($46.4 million) and Young ($46 million) are all on expensive contracts that are difficult to trade under the current CBA. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n With multiple aprons to finagle — especially considering any acquiring franchise is likely a title-contender already under financial constraints — working out the logistics of a blockbuster trade is difficult.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Both White and Dosunmu will be unrestricted free agents at the end of this season, so some team, whether the Bulls or otherwise, will have to work out a new contract. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n But unlike Young, Davis and others, White is only owed $12.9 million, and Dosunmu just $7.5 million. If a team looking to make a deep playoff run needs a productive guard<\/a> for the remainder of this season <\/em>instead of preparing for 2026-27, those two 25-year-olds are at or near the top of the list.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Making the Bulls even more of an attractive trade partner is their horde of expiring contracts. In addition to White and Dosunmu, Chicago can add Vucevic ($21.5 million expiring salary), Zach Collins ($18.1 million), Kevin Huerter ($18 million) and Jevon Carter ($6.9 million) to any trade to balance salaries.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nBulls can be sellers during a “quiet” NBA trade deadline<\/h2>\n
White, Dosunmu, expirings make Chicago an attractive trade partner<\/h2>\n