Bulls’ perfect Michael Porter Jr. trade offer to Nets

It certainly feels as though the Chicago Bulls are at a crossroads at the moment. They are in a pivotal situation in their rebuild, as they have plenty of expiring contracts on the books that they could try and package together to finally get their foundational star. The Bulls have been treading water so much over the past few years that the front office has to be feeling a greater sense of urgency to finally get someone they would want to build around.

For as talented as Josh Giddey is, the 6’8″ guard from Australia is not good enough, at least not yet, to be the main main for their rebuild. But at this point, the Bulls have been content to play it slowly. But again, knowing how many tradeable contracts they have on the payroll, now seems to be the time to be aggressive — with Michael Porter Jr. emerging as a potential trade target for Chicago.

Jake Fischer of the Stein Line noted that the Bulls were interested in trading for Porter in the past; they reportedly were in serious discussions with the Denver Nuggets to bring in Porter in a trade that would have sent Zach LaVine to the Mile High City.

Perhaps the Bulls revisit their interest in Porter, and the Brooklyn Nets certainly appear to be interested in cashing in on Porter as a trade asset amid his career-best season as the number one option.

With that said, this is the Bulls’ perfect trade offer to the Nets for the 27-year-old forward.

Bulls add shooting in Michael Porter Jr. over theoretical wing production

Chicago Bulls acquire: Michael Porter Jr.

Brooklyn Nets acquire: Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, Noa Essengue, 2026 POR first-round pick (lottery-protected for 2026 and 2027, becomes a second-round pick if it doesn’t convey by 2027)

The Nets have to know that Porter is not this good on a winning team; the only reason why he’s averaging over 25 points per game is that he’s getting all the shots on a Brooklyn side that’s devoid of shot-creation and shot-making skill. On a good team, one can expect a similar level of production from Porter as he gave with the Nuggets.

But the Bulls can talk themselves into having Porter be the number one option for them, at least for the meantime. Porter is a 6’10” forward who can get his shot off from all three levels at any time, and with Giddey being the primary playmaker for the team for the foreseeable future, the 27-year-old forward could see his numbers stay mostly the same in the Windy City.

The Bulls, of course, have to temper their expectations. Having Porter around is not going to guarantee them winning seasons. Trading for him wouldn’t even guarantee a play-in tournament berth this year. But he’s a good piece to have around as Chicago inches closer and closer to building a winning side — a process that they shouldn’t rush.

Chicago, however, has to recognize that there are merits to improving the roster bit by bit. Needing draft-pick projects to pop off isn’t a reliable way to build a contending roster. They struck gold with Matas Buzelis, but their draft picks in recent years haven’t been very good.

Dalen Terry barely plays. Patrick Williams has shown flashes, but his contract has turned into one of the worst in the NBA. Williams, in particular, is a cautionary scouting tale. Sure, he has the frame of a typical NBA wing. But his motor comes and goes, and he’s not nearly proficient enough at any facet of the game that it’s confounding that the Bulls rated him that highly to begin with.

And then the Bulls, seemingly not learning from their past mistakes, drafted Noa Essengue with the 12th overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. Essengue was another rangy wing with exceptional physical tools, but his overall game is very raw, and now, he’s on the shelf with a shoulder injury that would keep him out for the rest of the season.

The idea of who Essengue could become is far more tantalizing than what he’s shown as a basketball player at this point of his career. And at this point, the Bulls have to learn that not because someone has all the physical tools in the world, it would automatically translate to providing winning impact.

While it would be a bit confusing for the Bulls to give up on Essengue this early in his career, it’s not like they have any other pieces to try and dangle in a potential trade for Porter. Buzelis is untouchable at this point. The Nets would have no use for either Nikola Vucevic or Coby White. Giddey is someone the Bulls treat as a foundational piece.

The Nets could then talk themselves into how Essengue could become a hand and glove fit for the young, defense-oriented squad they’re building over there in Brooklyn. Brooklyn did love the 2025 NBA draft class so much that they made five selections in the first round alone. It’s also worth mentioning that the Nets had Essengue in their sights, so perhaps they’d feel as though trading Porter for a package headlined by a recent lottery pick is worth it.

As for Kevin Huerter and Zach Collins, their contracts are set to expire at the end of the 2025-26 season. This frees up even more room for the Nets to either make moves come free agency, or they could redirect them in trades where they acquire bad contracts in exchange for draft compensation.

The Bulls are also surrendering a first-round pick from the Portland Trail Blazers in this deal, but that selection is lottery-protected for the next two years anyway. Portland is not likely to make it to the playoffs over the next two years considering how stacked the West and how injury-ravaged their squad is. That is most likely going to be a second-round pick, so this should soften the blow for the Bulls.

At the end of the day, this trade does not move the needle much for the Bulls. But this at least signals that they’re building up to something. And with not much else on the books for Chicago, they could end up being a more appealing destination in free agency the more talent they already have on the roster — that’s how Porter would help.

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