The ups and downs are seemingly never-ending for the Chicago Bulls. After losing to the downtrodden Washington Wizards on New Year’s Day, the Bulls defeated the New York Knicks on the first annual Derrick Rose Night 139-126.

Coby White, Nikola Vucevic, and Zach LaVine combined to score 88 points and knock 13 three-pointers. While it’s encouraging to see White break his month-long shooting slump after scoring 33 points and converting 9-of-11 triples, watching Vucevic and LaVine continue their impressive, bounce-back seasons is even more encouraging.

Vucevic is averaging 20.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 2.1 three-pointers per game while converting 55.8 percent of his field goals and 43.6 percent of his threes. Vooch’s 2024-25 numbers are a far cry from a season ago when he averaged two fewer points and shot a dreadful 29.4 percent from beyond the arc.

LaVine, on the other hand, is on the heels of an injury-marred campaign where he appeared in only 25 contests. Like Vucevic, LaVine shot a woeful percentage from three, 34.9 percent. This season, the 29-year-old is canning a career-high 44.6 percent of his triples. Aside from the elite marksmanship, LaVine’s scoring and assist numbers are up from a season ago.

The rest of the league is awaiting a Chicago Bulls trade

Vucevic and LaVine’s strong comeback campaigns are certainly worth monitoring, and it appears the rest of the NBA is taking note. According to Mark Stein via The Stein Line, rival front offices are watching the Bulls closely because of Chicago’s precarious draft position. Stein noted that the Bulls must finish with the sixth-worst record to retain their 2025 first-round draft pick. Thus, in 10th place, the Bulls are on the cusp of conveying their first-rounder to the San Antonio Spurs (if it falls below 10).

The league’s front offices are awaiting the Bulls to make a move like the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets have notably already traded two veterans, Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith, in exchange for six second-round picks in separate deals. Chicago, however, has yet to make a trade this season despite its losing record.

Stein lists Ball and Vucevic as the more likely veterans to be traded than LaVine. The athletic swingman is the best player in the trio, but his contract muddies the waters. LaVine is slated to earn $43 million this season, $46 million next, and $49 million in 2026-27 as a 31-year-old on the brink of turning 32. Vucevic is only on the books for one additional season, while Lonzo’s contract expires at the end of this season—making both players more trade-worthy.

With the Golden State Warriors seemingly zeroing in on Vucevic, a likely landing spot for the two-time All-Star has been revealed. Last month, the Denver Nuggets had expressed interest in LaVine. However, the two sides have failed to come to an agreement, reportedly because of Denver’s insistence to include Zeke Nnaji in any trade and the questionable fit of a LaVine and Jamal Murray-led backcourt.

A Vucevic to Golden State trade feels more feasible. Earning roughly $41 million through this season and next, the 34-year-old big man is relatively easy to trade for when aggregating players—something the first salary cap apron Warriors are capable of. Golden State could hypothetically send Kevon Looney, Moses Moody, and Gary Payton II to Chicago for Vucevic and fellow 34-year-old Torrey Craig.

It’s still possible a trade will have to wait until the offseason when additional cap space opens up. But as Stein reiterated, “the Bulls are expected to find deals between now and the Feb. 6 deadline involving Vučević and possibly Lonzo Ball.” There’s no telling what Chicago will do between now and early February. The tanking versus competing conundrum is still in full effect. However, if there’s one thing worth taking away from Stein’s latest, the rest of the league is anticipating the Bulls to make a move even if the Chicago front office is determined to retain its core.