The Chicago Bulls have spent the past year making it clear that Matas Buzelis is part of their future. But what if a player like Evan Mobley suddenly became available to trade?
That is the question worth asking after a recent proposal suggested Buzelis could eventually be the price Chicago pays to acquire the Cleveland Cavaliers star. There is no indication the Cavaliers are shopping Mobley, and the Bulls certainly have no obvious reason to shop Buzelis. Still, if Mobley ever does hit the trade market, Chicago would have to decide just how untouchable its young forward really is.
A recent proposal at ‘Pippen Ain’t Easy’ put Buzelis’ potential trade value in those terms, suggesting Mobley would be the kind of player worth considering if Chicago ever decided to move its young star.
Evan Mobley Would Change the Bulls’ Equation
The first thing to understand is that Buzelis and Mobley aren’t really competing for the same role. Buzelis is a 21-year-old, 6-foot-8 forward entering his third NBA season after averaging 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists for Chicago last season. He is still developing, but the upside is obvious.
Mobley is a different proposition. The 25-year-old is already an established two-way star, and his résumé includes an All-Star selection, an All-NBA selection and the 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year award. He averaged 18.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists last season, while continuing to provide elite rim protection.
Mobley’s NBA profile and career numbers show why the comparison isn’t simply about which player scores more. Buzelis represents potential. Mobley represents a much higher degree of certainty.
That distinction could matter enormously for a Bulls organization that has spent years trying to find a direction. If Chicago believed Mobley was genuinely available, it wouldn’t simply be acquiring another young player. It would be acquiring a player who could immediately become one of the most important pieces of the franchise.
Buzelis Is Exactly Why This Gets Complicated
That doesn’t mean Chicago should rush to put Buzelis in a trade package. Far from it. The Bulls currently have one of the youngest rosters in the NBA, with Buzelis entering his third season alongside this year’s No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson and a collection of other young players. Heavy recently identified Buzelis as the presumptive starting power forward on a roster built around developing that young core.
Trading Buzelis now would mean giving up on discovering exactly what he can become. And that’s a potentially expensive gamble. His shooting, length and defensive versatility give Chicago a player who could develop into a much more complete offensive weapon over the next few seasons. But that is also the argument for considering Mobley.
If Buzelis becomes a star or even just a good player, Chicago wins by keeping him. But if Cleveland somehow decides that Mobley is available, the Bulls would have to ask themselves whether they would rather bet on Buzelis becoming Mobley — or simply acquire Mobley.
The Bulls Would Have to Make a Very Different Kind of Bet
There is another reason this hypothetical is fascinating: Chicago doesn’t necessarily have to view Buzelis as its only path to a long-term frontcourt star. Wilson is now part of the equation. The Bulls selected Wilson fourth overall this summer, and the early enthusiasm surrounding him gives Chicago another potentially significant piece at forward. That doesn’t make Buzelis expendable, but it does make the roster construction question more complicated.
A frontcourt featuring Mobley and Wilson would look very different from one built around Buzelis and Wilson. Mobley’s ability to protect the rim, switch defensively and operate offensively from the frontcourt would give Chicago something it doesn’t currently have at the same level. The Cavaliers’ official announcement of Mobley’s Defensive Player of the Year season illustrates just how much defensive impact he has already established.
That is why the price matters. Chicago shouldn’t trade Buzelis simply because Mobley is a bigger name. It should only consider it if the Cavaliers’ asking price makes sense and Mobley is genuinely available.
Would Chicago Actually Do It?
This is where the answer becomes more interesting than the trade itself. If Cleveland called tomorrow and asked for Buzelis in a package for Mobley, the Bulls should at least listen. That doesn’t mean they should immediately say yes.
Buzelis is younger, cheaper and still has considerable room to grow. Mobley is more expensive and would require Chicago to commit significant resources to a player who is already entering his prime. But Mobley also removes much of the uncertainty that comes with building around prospects.
The Bulls don’t need to trade Buzelis. In fact, there are plenty of reasons they shouldn’t. But if Evan Mobley ever hits the trade market, this is one of the rare scenarios where Chicago could legitimately have to consider putting its prized young forward on the table. Because there is a difference between trading Matas Buzelis and trading Matas Buzelis for Evan Mobley.
The first would be a gamble.
The second might be the kind of gamble a rebuilding team has to at least consider.
If Evan Mobley Hits the Trade Market, Should Bulls Consider Trading Matas Buzelis?