The NBA trade deadline is fast approaching. Just a couple days ago, Elias Schuster at Sports Illustrated dropped his ranking of the Chicago Bulls’ top six trade assets and why they might move. So for today’s Binary Response, we’re breaking down his piece from our perspective on which Bulls players could actually get traded — and which ones absolutely shouldn’t. Please sign up to get our Binary Response articles directly in your inbox!
Come on — ranking Coby White No. 1, after draft picks, like he’s packing his bags? We’ve heard the trade buzz around Coby since the front office drafted him back in 2019, but they’ve shut that down hard. Karnisovas and Eversley have been crystal clear, they’re building around him as a cornerstone with Josh Giddey and the kids like Matas Buzelis. Coby’s exploded into a three-level scorer dropping 20-plus a night this season, only 25 years old with his prime staring us in the face. Shipping him out now would trash all that development, especially when every other GM knows he’s a free agent this summer and could cheap out on the return. We’d snag some picks or a rental wing, sure, but then what? Restart the endless guard shuffle we lived through after Lonzo and Caruso? No way. Coby’s the steady force next to Giddey in this backcourt test run, and trading him reeks of panic when we’re finally clicking.
The exact same logic kills any talk of moving Ayo Dosunmu. Why gut another homegrown guard who’s owning his sixth-man role with career highs — 14.5 points on 51 percent shooting, threes at 45 percent, and that dogged defense pushing the break? Ayo’s Chicago-bred, fits the timeline at 25, and the front office treats him like family. Flipping him for scraps like second-rounders or expiring deals would hollow out our bench depth, and he’s the affordable long-term glue compared to Coby’s next contract. We’ve watched this script play out too many times — dump the promising youth for vets who flame out and leave us spinning wheels. Ayo elevates the whole unit without ego or injury red flags; he’s staying put to keep this core humming.
And speaking of guards, Tre Jones at No. 6? Now that’s the name with real legs if a deal brews, and I could totally see him as the centerpiece. He slid over in the LaVine blockbuster, and he’s thriving — 12 points, nearly 6 assists, 54 percent from the field, all on a steal of an $8 million deal for three more years. His high IQ, zero turnovers, and pure facilitation scream contender bench spark for spots like Minnesota or Houston hunting a reliable point without tax drama. He’s not locked into our “build around” vision like Coby or Ayo, so packaging him with a pick or filler for young big help or more future juice makes total sense. If the Bulls pull one guard trigger, it’s Jones leading the way — keeps the top backcourt duo safe while flipping surplus value.
Over in the frontcourt, sliding Jalen Smith ahead of Vucevic at Nos. 4 and 5 feels off-base too. Jalen’s been a monster, bouncing between four and five with a net rating popping in the 95th percentile, stretch fives, cut finishes, and board crashes at just 25 on a bargain $9.4 million next year. But trading both him and Nikola Vucevic? Forget it — that strips our paint bare and flings us back into full rebuild hell after scraping out of it post-LaVine. Vooch is still a double-double beast, 17 and 9 with 37 percent from deep, opening driving lanes for Giddey and White. Ditching both means small-ball every possession, rebounding craters, no rim presence, and waving bye to any playoff sniff when we’ve got our own firsts locked through 2032 plus that Portland protected gem.
I’d trade Vucevic over Smith every time. Nik’s $21.5 million expiring contract is tailor-made for deadline shoppers like Boston, Golden State, or the Lakers craving scoring pop without years of baggage. His defense has slipped at 34, sure, but those 30-point explosions and floor-spacing still turn heads, and past trade tries flopped on the money — now it’s melting away. Rivals bite for seconds, pick swaps, or salary dumps in a three-team twist, and the Bulls flip it into center-of-the-future prospects or cap relief without torching minutes. Smith’s the ascending anchor we build with; Vooch is the smart salary shed to stay fringe-competitive. Dumping Jalen instead? That’d be malpractice when he’s peaking and cheap.
Here’s the thing, folks: Elias’ top trade candidates are mostly comprised of our war chest with control until 2032. We’re not buying stars; if anything, we’re packaging Jones or Vucevic with them for hauls that don’t nuke the vibe. Front office heat to choose a lane after years of 20-win purgatory is legit, but trading the wrong pieces restarts the cycle. We’ve got Giddey-White-Dosunmu meshing, Buzelis blooming — don’t kill the momentum for half-baked returns.
With that… Bulls fans have suffered enough false dawns. Lock in Coby and Ayo as backcourt bedrock, bait with Jones. Shop Vucevic wisely, shield Smith, weaponize picks. That’s the play for play-in pushres and summer flexibility, not tank parades. The deadline creeping up — hopfully Karnisovas threads the needle for once instead of the usual meh.
If you cannot play with them, then root for them!