1 deal the Bulls must make in the 2025-26 NBA trade season
The Chicago Bulls offense is quite impressive. They have a ton of playmakers and 3-point shooters on the roster. However, they won’t be able to get to the next level as the defense stands right now. Chicago is 26th in opponent points per game (121.9).
They lack both perimeter and interior defenders, and it will likely take a trade to turn things around. Herb Jones is one of the best defenders in the NBA, so the Bulls should try to work out a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Bulls could add more defense in the form of Herb Jones
Bulls get: Herb Jones, DeAndre Jordan
Pelicans get: Kevin Huerter, 2026 first-round pick (via Trail Blazers), 2028 first-round pick (1-14 protected), second-round picks
Jones would single-handedly improve Chicago’s defense. The small forward/shooting guard is 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan. Prior to the injury-riddled 2024-25 season, Jones finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, quite an accomplishment for an undersized player. Jones’ combination of length and speed allows him to wreak havoc in passing lanes.
In addition to piling up steals (1.6 career steals per game), Jones plays stifling defense at the point of attack. Opposing players struggle to shoot over him or pass him in their drives. Jones even has more rim protection ability than the average player at his position.
Kobe White, Isaac Okoro, Patrick Williams, Nikola Vaccevic and Matas Bouzelis all have a negative attitude Defensive box plus/minusand Josh Giddy is far from a famous stopper. Jones would cover up a lot of the defensive issues the team has. He can guard the opposing team’s best player and cover the weaker defenders on the Bulls’ roster.
Jones also improved offensively. In his last fully healthy season, Jones topped the 40% mark on his 3-point shots. He’s a legitimate corner threat, and even though his offensive numbers are down this year, he wouldn’t hurt the flow of the Bulls’ offense.
In this proposal, the Bulls would have to give up Kevin Huerter and two first-round picks. Huerter’s 3-point expertise has been more theoretical than real in recent seasons. Trading two first-round picks would be risky, but the Bulls would hope to be a playoff team by 2028 and, therefore, remain in the top 14 protected picks.
Would the Pelicans Trade Herb Jones?
Pelicans aren’t really in a position to tank. They owe Atlanta Hawks their 2026 first round pickso there isn’t much incentive for them to trade away their best players and therefore potentially lose more games. However, the Pelicans are already in last place in the Western Conference, so they might as well stockpile as much future capital as possible.
A a trade involving Jones cannot be completed until January 15th because of the contract he signed in the offseason, but a deal could be on the table then. Without their 2026 first-rounder, the Pelicans don’t have many ways to get better without trading for even more capital.
The Pelicans’ defense is already questionable, so trading Jones would be risky. Given that he also signed a reasonable contract, it might be best for the team to keep him. However, this would be a decent return for the Alabama product.
There is still hope that Huerter can rediscover his elite 3-point shot, and the draft pick the Portland Trail Blazers would add to this deal could be lottery-bound. That pick would help cushion the loss of their No. 1 player. If the Pelicans want to trade Jones, a deal with the Bulls makes a lot of sense.
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2025-12-18 22:41:00
