Former Lottery Pick Named Potential Trade Candidate for Chicago Bulls

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 10: Head coach Tiago Splitter of the Chicago Bulls gestures to his players in the second half of a 2026 NBA Summer League game against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 10, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bulls will be an interesting team to keep an eye on heading into the 2026-27 NBA season.

Expectations are relatively low for the Bulls, so perhaps they’ll be able to surprise some people. But, if things go south, they could look to clear some contracts and offload some players. One particular player has been named a potential trade candidate for the Bulls during the season.

Jalen Smith Named Potential Trade Candidate for Chicago Bulls

Former lottery pick Jalen Smith, who was selected with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, was named as a player who the Bulls could potentially trade during the season by Fran Leiva of Fadeaway World.

Smith is entering the final year of his current contract with the Bulls, and they could look to recoup some value for him as opposed to losing him for nothing in free agency next summer if they didn’t plan to re-sign him.

“Smith is making only $9.4 million this season, and more importantly, the contract expires next summer. That number can absolutely fit into plenty of trade structures and is large enough to be useful as matching salary, all without forcing the team acquiring him to take on future money,” Leiva wrote.

“Smith is somebody who could be moved this season after many rumors, and he’s an ideal acquisition for a team needing stretch help in my opinion. His skill set becomes more valuable once playoff rotations start shrinking and teams desperately need a frontcourt piece who can help out with the spacing, and that 37.3% from three is the selling point.”

Smith averaged 10.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists in 20.7 minutes per game for Chicago last season.

Los Angeles Lakers Floated as Potential Landing Spot for Jalen Smith

One team that has previously been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Smith is the Los Angeles Lakers. Smith has some fans within the Lakers organization, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic.

“Smith has some fans within the organization because he plays with motor and has worked himself into a pretty good outside shooter,” Woike wrote. “But Smith is expensive (one-year, $9.5 million remaining on his deal) and undersized at 6 foot 8. The previous Bulls’ regime was a fan of his, which puts his actual availability into question.”

If Smith is ultimately made available, the Lakers will be a team to keep an eye on.