It’s time for the Chicago Bulls to start hunting for big trades.
The early rounds of the NBA playoffs are the most illuminating weeks of the entire season. It’s when the cracks begin to show, when players and front offices alike reach breaking points and begin to search for solutions. And for teams stuck on the sidelines — like the Bulls, who missed the playoffs for the third year in a row — these fissures offer a glimpse into potential paths forward for new deals.
There’s one obvious name at the top of every team’s list this year: Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo is a nine-time All-Star and two-time MVP who averaged 30.4 points and 11.9 rebounds per game for the Milwaukee Bucks this season. He delivered an NBA championship to the Bucks in 2021 and has continued to dominate the league despite several injuries in the ensuing years.
Antetokounmpo has been uniquely invested in Milwaukee, the city where he was drafted as a teenager in 2013. But this season showed a potential for a future fracture. The team’s experiment of pairing their star with Damian Lillard ended in tragedy when the guard tore his Achilles during the first round of the playoffs. And the team’s exit in a 4-1 gentleman’s sweep by the Indiana Pacers showcased Milwaukee’s inability to compete even in a weakened version of the Eastern Conference.
The Bucks lack draft picks and free agency firepower to assemble a new contending team around Antetokounmpo. And their only way out of this predicament is also the hardest — trading the star who elevated the team for a decade.
Even through difficult years of rebuilding, Antetokounmpo has been steadfast in his commitment to the Bucks. But that doesn’t matter to the other 29 teams in the league. Even the slightest sign of discomfort is enough to get every executive to pick up the phone.
The idea of acquiring Antetokounmpo is tantalizing. And it’s certainly not new for Bulls fans, who have been dreaming of the “Greek Freak” in a red and black jersey ever since the star playfully suggested that “maybe one day I play for Chicago” during a news conference in 2022.
So could he make sense in Chicago — and do the Bulls even have enough to get the Bucks to the table?
The Bulls would need to give up serious capital to accomplish this trade — both to entice the Bucks into a deal and to make room on their cap sheet for Antetokounmpo, who is owed $54 million next year and close to $175 million over the remainder of his contract.
Trading for Antetokounmpo would mean sacrificing the bulk of Chicago’s young core. That would start with Coby White and Josh Giddey, the team’s two most promising players. White has one more year left on an incredibly team-friendly three-year, $36 million deal, but his price will undoubtedly go up when he hits unrestricted free agency in 2026. Giddey is expected to re-sign with the Bulls for close to $20 million annually. This duo represents the highest value of combined future potential on the Bulls roster and two of their greatest long-term salary commitments.
The Bucks would likely not stop there, looking to plunder young reserves like Ayo Dosunmu and Matas Buzelis to flesh out the next steps of a restart without Antetokounmpo. And they could also seek a high quantity of first-round draft picks, of which the Bulls own at least one for the next seven seasons.
This also would not be a trade where the Bulls could offload players who are a poor fit for the current roster, such as center Nikola Vučević and forward Patrick Williams. The Bucks would be looking to begin a new, young era, which means Vučević would likely not fit their vision. And Williams has lost almost all of his trade value after another lackluster season, where he was benched in favor of Buzelis ahead of the All-Star break.
So in this scenario, the Bulls would surround Antetokounmpo with the haphazard frontcourt of Vučević and Williams along with the least valuable members of their young core. And they would give up a significant chunk of their future draft capital, limiting their options to build organically around their new star.
Acquiring Antetokounmpo would make the Bulls a more desirable option for free agents, which would be a welcome change from recent years. But this setup doesn’t fit the win-now environment that Antetokounmpo would be seeking if he left Milwaukee. And it also doesn’t follow the path that executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas charted for the team’s slow build at the end of another losing season.
At the end of the day, this likely won’t be an issue. While the Bulls don’t have the worst package to offer for Antetokounmpo, they aren’t necessarily a top suitor for the player or the franchise. And according to a report by The Ringer, Antetokounmpo is most interested in Los Angeles, New York and Miami as future options for a trade destination.
Still, this conversation clarifies an obvious complaint about the Bulls roster. This team needs a star. This city needs a star. It’s been too long since the Bulls had a true high-octane superstar — the type who regularly drives end-of-season award debates — on their roster. And without that type of talent, it’s hard to imagine how the Bulls will regain relevancy in the East or the NBA at large.
Antetokounmpo likely won’t be the last star available on the trade market or in free agency this summer. Zion Williamson, Kevin Durant and Nikola Jokić headline a laundry list of “what if” scenarios for the offseason.
The Bulls could and should throw themselves into any of these bidding wars. And the team’s success in a trade — or lack thereof — will inform how the front office should approach upcoming seasons as they attempt to bring some real star power back to Chicago.
