The Chicago Bulls didn't blow everything up at once. Arturas Karnisovas has opted for an ongoing retool, almost like a mechanic replacing parts of an engine on the fly. DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Alex Caruso were out. Josh Giddey, Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, and Chris Duarte were in. It appears the Bulls are following that same trend. The next domino has fallen. News broke from Sham Charania of ESPN that point guard Lonzo Ball has been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for small forward Isaac Okoro.
People will be upset that the Bulls again didn't get any draft assets back in the deal. That seems to be the approach Karnisovas wants. He isn't interested in lottery tickets that may or may not become anything. He wants established players who can help the team in some form immediately. The interest in Okoro isn't hard to decipher. He's best known as a quality on-the-ball defender with the athleticism to guard multiple positions. His lack of shooting prowess kept his minutes low in Cleveland, but the Bulls have needed more defensive help for a long time.
The Chicago Bulls were never getting anything serious for Ball.
He played limited minutes last season, finally returning from the devastating knee injury that nearly ended his career. Though he is still only 27 years old, there is no telling if he'll ever be the player he once was. The Chicago Bulls wanted a young player who could help them in some aspect. Okoro is 24 years old with two years left on his contract at $22 million. He's affordable and can at least play the role they need him to. Maybe he finally develops his shooting touch. In truth, that seems unlikely. The best thing to do is see him as a quality depth piece the Bulls can use as part of a wave of long, athletic forwards on defense alongside 12th overall pick Noa Essengue. If nothing else, it clears up more cap space for a potential run at help in 2026 free agency.
