Chicago Bulls expected to cut ties with trade pickup
The Chicago Bulls struck another trade on Tuesday. Once again, they were involved in a multi-team deal, which included the Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In the trade, the Bulls picked up the veteran guards Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley. The latter isn’t expected to stick around in Illinois for long, according to multiple reports.
“Both sides will work on the proper path to move forward,” NBA Insider Chris Haynes wrote on Tuesday. “Conley will be a target for a team in need of point guard depth.”
Hours after the deal was done, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst stated that Conley is a guy that every team in the league “would want.” The veteran is most suitable for a contending team, hence the lack of interest from Chicago at this time.
The Bulls have a couple of days to figure out what to do with Conley. There shouldn’t be any rush to cut ties with him, as he could be a helpful piece in a follow-up trade. The Bulls are rumored to be on the hunt for more deals before Thursday’s deadline.
In the event Conley doesn’t get dealt, then he seems likely to get bought out. Conley is currently in the midst of a two-year deal, worth $20.7 million. He is earning $10.7 million for this season and will become an unrestricted free agent this upcoming summer.
The 2025-2026 season hasn’t been the strongest run from Conley, who was playing in his fourth season with the Timberwolves. In 18.5 minutes on average, Conley produced 4.4 points per game, along with 2.9 assists. He is shooting just 32 percent from three this year. While it’s a down year for the veteran, that won’t leave teams totally hesitant. Getting Conley on a potential minimum is a solid low-risk gamble.
It’s unclear what’s next for Chicago. Over the weekend, they were players in the three-team deal along with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Sacramento Kings. The Bulls picked up Dario Daric, who was included in Tuesday’s first deal for the Bulls. Saric is now on the Detroit Pistons, along with Kevin Huerter.
A few hours later, the Bulls traded away the veteran center Nikola Vucevic for Anfernee Simons of the Boston Celtics. The Bulls have a couple more players to keep an eye on in the coming days.
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