Are there pigs flying outside your window? I haven’t seen any, but after hearing the news that the Chicago Bulls were part of a trade this season, I figured that had to be what was coming next.
If you tune out the rumors, this season has been painfully quiet on the transaction front. The deal that broke last night was only the second trade of the regular season, but it could be the small domino that teams needed to finally crack the dam. The Sacramento Kings acquired De’Andre Hunter, sending Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
To help facilitate the deal, the Kings shipped the expiring contract of Dario Šarić to Chicago, while both the Kings and Cavs tossed in a second-round pick to make everything work. Essentially, a participation trophy, one that cost Chicago absolutely nothing.
NBA Media Reacts POSITIVELY to the Bulls Trade!
We’re at the point of the NBA season where trade news tends to take priority. With this deal involving some relatively important starters, they were bound to get an article or two of their own. We’re not looking at how they reacted to the Kings or the Cavaliers, but the silent partners in the Bulls.
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesBleacher Report
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report dropped a “Grade the Trade” article for the deal that went down today, and he handed the Bulls an “A”. Honestly, his reasoning was pretty hard to argue with.
“This is a no-brainer for the Bulls,” Bailey wrote. “The chances of those picks turning into great NBA players are slim, but Chicago essentially got those outside chances for nothing. This is just smart asset management for a middling team.”
And you know a trade was objectively good when someone puts the Bulls in the same sentence as “smart asset management” and doesn’t immediately follow it with a joke.
Chicago Sun Times
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times was one of the first to break the news on what the Bulls received for joining the three-team trade party. Once he hit his “hot news” deadline, Cowley shifted to what Jevon Carter, the casualty waived to make the deal work, meant to the young roster.
“Jevon Carter never lived up to the free-agent frenzy in which AK grabbed him, but he was as professional a vet as I’ve seen for a guy who rarely played,” Cowley said.
He then added, with rare appreciation for the Bulls’ front office, “I will give AK his flowers, this was the fourth straight smart trade he’s made. Where those flowers wilt a bit is that they’re trades to clean up his own crap mistakes.”
I will give AK his flowers – this was a 4th straight smart trade he's made. Where those flowers wilt a bit is they are trades to clean up his own crap mistakes.
— Joe Cowley (@JCowleyHoops) February 1, 2026Honestly, I would also love to sing AK’s praises, provided he continues this momentum and leaves the February 5th trade deadline, better than he entered.
Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn ImagesSB Nation
SB Nation, much like Bleacher Report, decided to play the grading game. Growing up, I was never all that afraid of grades—but with the Bulls, expectations are basically at floor level. Still, on the second report card of the night, Chicago stayed a straight-A student. They’re now 2-for-2, and once again, there’s not much to argue.
“This is a nice margin move for the Bulls,” said Ricky O’Donnell. “This is about adding two second-round picks just for the cost of eating his money.”
And again, it’s worth remembering this trade isn’t a needle-mover for the Bulls. The problems they had yesterday are the same ones they have today. The only difference is they now have two more second-round picks to show for it.
Chicago Bulls on SI
My predecessor, Elias Schuster, now over at SI, added to an already stacked set of trade grades and kept the average high with another ‘A’.
A couple of things he mentioned really stood out to me, all centered on Chicago quietly announcing itself to the league as a team you can call when you need help getting a deal done. In other words: if you need a facilitator, Chicago’s willing to answer the phone, as long as you make sure to scratch their back while they’re scratching yours.
A smart piece of business from the Chicago Bulls! t.co/FMU49SgZGD
— Elias Schuster (@Schuster_Elias) February 1, 2026“Acting as a facilitator for the sake of adding draft capital is a savvy move that we have seen countless rebuilding teams make,” said Schuster, “Does this mean the Bulls are for sure destined for a full-blown rebuild? No. But it at least tells other teams around the league that they are willing to put their current flexibility to use in an effort to improve their long-term trajectory. It’s just good business.”
The Athletic
By far the toughest grade of the night came from Zach Harper of The Athletic, who handed Chicago a participation trophy and nothing more, a C+. Harper evaluated the trade through the lens of the players involved.
Jevon Carter didn’t play much over the last two seasons, so his departure was manageable. Dario Šarić, meanwhile, has been awful, there’s really no softer way to put it, and has already been traded multiple times this season. When his current contract expires, it’s hard to imagine teams lining up to throw another offer his way.
Harper also pointed out that Šarić won’t crack the rotation ahead of Jalen Smith or Nikola Vučević. That may be true, but this season has been defined by injuries, and opportunities have opened up for just about everyone on the roster. If the Bulls keep him, I wouldn’t be surprised if he logs a game or two.
Ultimately, though, this trade was clearly about the second-round picks. That’s where I diverge from Harper, even if I understand where the grade is coming from.
© Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesBleacher Nation
We may not have slapped a formal “trade grade” on it, but Alex and I are very much aligned on what this deal represents. Most importantly: the Bulls did something surprising, and good.
This is exactly how teams are supposed to build. You make moves where you see opportunity. You take risks, small or large, and you’re not afraid to lose in the short term if it means positioning yourself to win later. That’s what this trade was about.
Second-round picks don’t work out for everyone, but they’ve absolutely produced real NBA players. The obvious headliners are Nikola Jokić and Draymond Green. Not to suggest Chicago is about to stumble into that kind of lightning, but let’s be honest, there are far worse ways the Bulls have spent far more than this.
If I had to grade this facilitating trade from the Bulls’ perspective, I’m right in line with my peers: it’s an ‘A’. Two second-round picks for essentially just existing, no matter how this shakes out, Chicago can’t lose this one.
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