An insider is advocating that the Chicago Bulls bring in some major help at a critical position this offseason.
As is Bulls team president Arturas Karnisovas’ custom, Chicago didn’t make many moves at all this summer, hoping to fly under the radar as it continued to make a concert push towards utter sub-mediocrity.
The Bulls flipped reserve point guard Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers for defense-first wing Isaac Okoro, whose availability ultimately makes him the more sensible fit in Chicago. Chicago also selected forward Noa Essengue with the No. 12 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft this past June.
But is it time for Chicago to make a splashier move?
Under newly-minted Hall of Fame head coach Billy Donovan — over the last five seasons, hardly a small sample size — the Bulls have made the playoffs exactly once in five years, losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in five brisk playoff games.
Rohan Brahmbhatt of ClutchPoints thinks that shoring up its interior defense could go a long way towards curing what ails this embattled team.
“Nikola Vucevic has been a steady presence offensively, but his defensive shortcomings have long been an issue for Chicago,” Brahmbhatt writes. “That’s where Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz enters the conversation. Kessler, one of the league’s premier young shot-blockers, could provide the defensive anchor the Bulls have been missing for nearly a decade.”
In 58 games last year for the Utah Jazz, Walker Kessler averaged 11.1 points on 66.3 percent shooting from the field and 62 percent shooting from the foul line, 12.2 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 1.7 assists and 0.6 steals per. He’d be a high-level defender and finisher around the rack, a true center with size.
“At just 24 years old, Kessler already possesses elite rim-protection instincts and rebounding ability,” Brahmbhatt adds. “His defensive metrics place him among the top young centers in the NBA, and his presence would instantly elevate Chicago’s interior defense. With Kessler patrolling the paint, the Bulls’ perimeter defenders could play more aggressively, knowing they have a reliable shot-blocker behind them. It’s a dynamic that championship-level teams have leaned on for years, and Chicago has an opportunity to replicate it.”
