The Chicago Bulls will be waiting patiently by the phone this season.
New executive vice president of basketball operations Byrson Gaham has made clear that the organization is in rebuild mode. While this means much of their focus is on the continued growth of youngsters like Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis, it also means they are ready to do business at any time.
At Media Day, Graham even assured those sitting at home that the work is far from done. This remains a team in transition.
“We accomplished some, and we’re still in the game for others," Graham said about his offseason moves. "The free agency period is just one period. We still have the trade deadline in February ... We’re still not out of that game. That’s still a focus of ours. Hopefully, with our room mid-level that’s intact, there are some opportunities down the line."
Graham has spoken most specifically about targeting salary-dump opportunities. In other words, helping another financially restricted team get a deal done for a fee (aka draft capital or a young player). Is this the only kind of trade the Bulls may pursue? Of course not, but it's the kind that many successful rebuilding teams have prioritized in the past.
The Bulls have put themselves in a great position to sit high on the speed dial (today's generation: Your iPhone favorites list) for rival front offices. As Graham noted, the franchise has their entire room exception, which is roughly $9.4 million. They have also left open a full-time roster spot to this point, meaning they could simply add a player without making any other changes.
Indeed, the Bulls are standing ready to pull off a trade that benefits them long-term, and contending teams are well aware. So, who might be one of the first to talk business? One Eastern Conference foe should certainly be on our watch list.
Could the Bulls and 76ers Eventually Strike a Deal?
The Philadelphia 76ers are all-in on an NBA Finals run. They added Jaylen Brown in a stunning deal with the Boston Celtics this offseason, only to lure LeBron James in free agency a handful of weeks later. Add in some really strong signings around the margins, and this Philly squad is considered one of the favorites to win it all.
With that being the case, it's inevitable that they look for opportunities to fill any roster holes. And a big one opened up over the last week. Big man Ariel Hukporti was signed away from the New York Knicks to play a larger role for this 76ers squad. He was showing some very encouraging signs in the preseason, only to go down with a torn Achilles.
The 76ers now have the undersized Adem Bona as their best option for backup minutes at the five. It wouldn't feel so dire if Joel Embiid could be trusted to carry a normal workload, but that hasn't been the case for years. Philly was likely going to start Hukporti in a handful of games this season, as the former MVP hasn't played more than 39 games since 2022-23.
This leads us to the Bulls, who are suddenly rather deep at the center position. Their Top 3 options, when healthy, are all capable bigs: Nic Claxton, Jalen Smith, and Zach Collins. Tiago Splitter has even suggested that he could go three centers deep in the rotation this season.
Nevertheless, it's hard to imagine Bryson Graham rebuffing phone calls about any of the three centers. Smith and Collins, in particular, are on relatively cheap, expiring deals that could be of interest to a contender. The former is owed $9.4 million, while the latter is making $8.0 million.
To be sure, it's not the easiest to come up with a deal that makes sense for the 76ers. With as busy a cap sheet as they currently have, throwing anything more than a minimum contract onto the books is tough. Likewise, they don't have the mid-tier contracts that would make a trade straightforward. Philly would likely need to combine multiple salaries, which may have the Bulls less interested. But, hey, that's what multi-team trades are for!
Even if the two sides can't come to an agreement on a big man, however, there is reason to believe that some kind of deal can get done. Marc Stein of The Stein Line noted this week that the 76ers could find themselves in a situation where they need to reduce payroll, especially if they want to fill this need at center before mid-December (when several of their recent free-agent signings become trade-eligible).
Once again, not many teams are in a better position to help solve money problems than the Bulls! They have the extra cash flow and the open roster spot. Find the right draft capital, and Graham could be ready to shake hands at any moment!
Philly also has Labaron Philon Jr. sitting on their roster. Already busy in the backcourt, the rookie could start to look more like a luxury than a necessity. If there were any world where the Bulls could get their hands on him, one has to imagine they would jump at the opportunity. The 20-year-old appeared to be on their radar in the pre-draft process and would give them a talented ball-handler to add to their young core.
Regardless, the broader point is that Philly has emerged as one of the first contenders with a glaring need. Might the Bulls prefer to wait until a few others inevitably join the list to chat? Sure, but this is exactly why they decided to play it as patiently as they did this summer. Opportunities always present themselves in the NBA.
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