The Chicago Bulls might be… becoming self-aware? Obviously, please don’t hold your breath, but it appears team president Arturas Karnisovas, six seasons into his tenure at the franchise’s helm, appreciates midseason that his team is going nowhere. He might actually, really, be open to pivoting from his doomed roster for the second straight season — and a pair of New Orleans Pelicans frontcourt stalwarts, two-time All-Star power forward Zion Williamson and second-year center Yves Missi, could be in his crosshairs.
Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times verified an earlier report that the Bulls have been circling both Williamson and Missi as this season’s Feb. 5 trade deadline nears: “The Sun-Times confirmed a report that the Bulls have had ongoing talks with the Pelicans about players such as forward Zion Williamson and center Yves Missi.”
Cowley goes on to caution that the Pelicans seem to have cooled on the prospect of a Williamson-to-Chicago trade. Missi, however, apparently remains very much in play.
Let’s take a look at both fits.
© Stephen Lew-Imagn ImagesThe Risks and Rewards of a Possible Bulls Zion Williamson Trade
Williamson has fallen off mightily from being the can’t-miss superathlete who was nabbed with the No. 1 pick out of Duke in 2019.
The 6-foot-6 big man struggled through some injury issues as a rookie, appearing in just 24 contests. He seemed to turn a corner the very next season, 2020-21, suiting up for 61 games and making his first All-Star squad.
That’s when things really went off the rails.
Williamson missed what would have been his third pro season with another injury, and though he was named an All-Star the next year, he was healthy for only 29 games.
All told, he has suited up for 61 or more games just twice. The one year he did play 70 contests, 2023-24, he got hurt during the play-in tournament. Williamson hasn’t been able to stay healthy for more than 30 games across his other five pro seasons. In fairness, he’s played in 29 bouts this year already for the 10-35 Pelicans and is currently considered healthy. So it seems likely he’ll surpass that 30-game tally soon this season.
Beyond his actual injuries, concerns have persisted about the state of his physical fitness and upkeep. The 25-year-old has frequently appeared to be somewhat out of shape (which is to say, out of professional NBA basketball shape, not normal human shape), and has dealt with some troubling personal allegations.
On the floor, in the rare instances he’s healthy, Williamson has at times maximized his burly frame and bouncy athleticism to body opposing forwards. This season, he’s been averaging 22.5 points on 58.5 percent field goal shooting and 71 percent free throw shooting (he’s not a 3-point shooter), 5.8 boards, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks a night.
Whether or not Williamson’s contributions can be said to help a team win remains an open question. And he’s already lost some of the explosive burst that made him such a problem for opposing defenses earlier in his career.
Were it not for his off-court problems, Williamson feels like the exact kind of buy-low trade candidate that would make some sense for the Bulls. But the man has too much baggage both on and off the floor. Karnisovas would do well to steer clear.
Why a Yves Missi Trade Makes Sense for Chicago
Missi may not have the ceiling of a Zion Williamson, but the 2025 All-Rookie Second Teamer would likely be a pretty cheap pick-up at the deadline, and would supply the Bulls with a rotational element they so badly need: a rim-runner.
The 6-foot-11 Baylor product flashed plenty of two-way promise in a more prominent role under then-head coach Willie Green in 2024-25. The emergence of standout rookie big Derik Queen and the free agency arrival of Kevon Looney have created something of a logjam at the center position, and Missi has been riding pine too much to really develop this year.
In 37 games for New Orleans, Missi has been averaging 5.5 points on 55 percent shooting from the field and 59.2 percent free throw shooting, 5.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.3 blocks across 18.6 minutes.
With both Nikola Vucevic and Zach Collins on expiring deals, the Bulls only have one center, Jalen Smith, under team control in 2025-26. Retaining Vucevic doesn’t make much sense, as his defensive issues have become a glaring liability. But re-signing Collins — who gets hurt a ton — on a reasonable number would be at least an understandable move, if one a bit bereft of imagination.
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