Bulls Trying To Find Trade Partners For 3 Guards

THE Chicago Bulls are on a run.

On Tuesday, they completed a three-team trade with the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves that brought them Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley. An hour later, they were able to acquire Anfernee Simons by trading Nikola Vucevic to the Boston Celtics. Today, the Bulls sent Coby White to the Charlotte Hornets –Conley going along for the ride —in a trade that brought them Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng and three second-round picks. Dieng himself had been re-routed from Charlotte, who sent Mason Plumlee to the Oklahoma City Thunder (h/t ESPN insider Shams Charania).

Bulls Trying To Find Trade Partners For Collin Sexton, Anfernee Simons, Ayo Dosunmu

Chicago had been trying to extract a first-round pick for White, according to The Athletic’s Joel Lorenzi. Instead, they got a starter-level combo guard, a rotation-caliber forward and useful draft compensation for White and Conley. In a vacuum, that’s good value. The problem is that the Bulls have a rather full guard rotation.

Ivey, Simons and Sexton could get the lion’s share of minutes by themselves. Yet, they’ll be joined by ball-handlers Josh Giddey and Tre Jones, if they remain in the Windy City. Not to be forgotten is Isaac Okoro.

Giddey, whom the Bulls attained two years ago, is firmly entrenched as their starting point guard. Chicago made a move for Jones, Giddey’s primary backup, last February. Frankly, each of the guards that they picked up this week are good enough to push Jones to third-string. Nonetheless, Jones is in the middle of arguably the best season of his career and truly appreciated by Bulls head coach Billy Donovan.

The Hornets acquired Dieng and a second-rounder from the Oklahoma City Thunder for Mason Plumlee, sources said. Dieng was then re-routed to Chicago amid multiple transactions.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 4, 2026

Okoro, Sexton’s teammate during their time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, is a player whose name has surfaced in trade rumors. The Los Angeles Lakers, looking for a 3-and-D wing, have been mentioned as a potential destination. Even so, Okoro has started in all 43 of the games he’s played for Chicago this season.

Keeping that in mind, the Bulls “still feel like they have a lot of work to do,” per Chicago-Sun Times reporter Joe Cowley. Sexton, Simons and Ayo Dosunmu “are still trade candidates” as a result. Indeed, Dosunmu for Indiana Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin is a swap that’s already been discussed, per The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer. Ivey’s exclusion is noteworthy but even he might not be safe if the right deal presents itself.

What If They Don’t Make Another Trade?

For argument’s sake, what if the Bulls are left with Giddey, Jones, Ivey, Sexton, Simons, Okoro and Dosunmu? Most teams can’t fit seven backcourt players into a rotation. However, Chicago’s thin frontcourt depth provides an opening for players who have the physical tools necessary to slot over.

That list includes Okoro, Dosunmu and Giddey.

• Okoro’s played 51 percent of his minutes at small forward in 2025-26, the third-highest mark in the rotation. Another five percent of his minutes have been played at power forward. Despite being 6-foot-4, the former fifth overall pick is stronger than his size suggests, allowing him to routinely guard bigger players.
• Dosunmu has played 19 percent of his minutes at small forward and one percent at power forward this season. In between 2022-23 and 2024-25, he played 34 percent of his minutes at small forward and two percent at power forward. Like Okoro, he’s 6-foot-4 but often has the strength necessary to guard larger guys.
• In Giddey’s time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he played 36 percent of his minutes at small forward and 36 percent of his minutes at power forward. He’s played just one percent of his minutes at small forward and none at power forward with the Bulls because they’ve needed him to be their primary facilitator. Nonetheless, at 6-foot-7 and 216 pounds, he can still play multiple positions.

They may not get as many touches as they want. Their stats may not look how they want. But with the right amount of mixing and matching, all seven of those players should be able to eat.