One notable NBA insider believes the Chicago Bulls could target a trade for one of the best players on the planet this summer. But there may be one problem that could make that player scrap a deal.
The Bulls’ descent into mediocrity over the last few years continued undeterred this season. Three years ago they were a playoff team and seemed to evolve into a dangerous squad in the East. However, injuries to key players and locker room drama have led to a slow breakup of the roster since.
While Chicago is likely to compete in the play-in tournament this spring, don’t be fooled, they are in the midst of a rebuild. That began over the summer when they let DeMar DeRozan take his talents to the Sacramento Kings and traded Alex Caruso. Then it continued last month when they shipped Zach LaVine off to, oddly enough, the Kings.
They will probably have a top-10 pick in this year’s NBA Draft and some money to spend in free agency. However, in a recent column, Bleacher Report NBA insider Eric Pincus predicted the Bulls would try to make one bold move that would supercharge their turnaround this summer.
Could the Chicago Bulls pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo trade this summer?
Pincus looked at all 30 teams and made some predictions about which players they could pursue in the 2025 summer trade market. When it came to the Chicago Bulls, he believed Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo could be in their crosshairs. The Bulls have all their first-round picks through the rest of the decade, including possibly three in June’s draft.
“Chicago could pursue a veteran upgrade, armed with all of its own first-round picks and a protected one from the Portland Trail Blazers. The team has an extensive list of short contracts, including Lonzo Ball, Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, Ayo Dosunmu, Carter, White, and Nikola Vučević,” Pincus wrote.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo stats (2024-25): 30.2 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.3 SPG
However, he also admitted there is one problem with a potential trade for Antetokounmpo if the nine-time All-Star actually asked for his exit. “Of course, who would they play with if the Bulls traded out all the veterans for a big name?”
Antetokounmpo would only leave Milwaukee for a serious title contender. The Bulls would not be anywhere close to that after a trade. However, they will have a lot of cap space in 2026. Maybe a deal is revisited then to pair him with a star free agent.
