Bulls linked to $160 million star in potential three-team trade

The Chicago Bulls have entered a new era with Bryson Graham as top executive and Tiago Splitter as new head coach, and they’ve already gotten off to a great start by snatching Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain in the NBA Draft.

Now, the Bulls will have to improve their roster in free agency and via trades. Fortunately, Chicago has the cap room to make big things happen, and the club is expected to be aggressive in the coming weeks.

But just who will the Bulls pursue with all of their available money?

Austin Reaves had been floated as a possibility, but he decided to re-up with the Los Angeles Lakers. Jarren Duren has been connected to Chicago incessantly, but the Detroit Pistons don’t seem to have any intention of letting him walk, and even if they did, is paying over $40 million annually for a big man who isn’t a great defender or playoff performer a wise idea?

Well, Andrew Hanlon of Pippen Ain’t Easy has forged a rather creative idea for the Bulls, urging them to get involved in a three-team trade with the Boston Celtics and Portland Trail Blazers. In the process, they would come away with a pretty good player.

Chicago Bulls urged to swing a trade for Jerami Grant

The Celtics are looking to move Jaylen Brown, and the Blazers are reportedly interested. Hanlon believes Chicago could facilitate a three-team deal by absorbing the contract of Jerami Grant, who signed a five-year, $160 million pact with Portland back in June 2023.

Hanlon feels the Bulls would be able to add draft picks in the process.

“Acquiring Grant’s contract to close that gap and add picks would be a wise way to do it. And the Bulls could simply absorb the 32-year-old’s money, just like they did [Nic] Claxton’s; they wouldn’t need to move picks or players in any iteration of the deal,” Hanlon wrote.

Grant had a rather strong season with the Blazers in 2025-26, averaging 18.6 points and 3.5 rebounds over 29.7 minutes per game on 45.3/38.9/81.4 shooting splits. He is slated to earn $34.2 million next season and has a $36.4 million player option for the following year, so Chicago might be stuck with the 32-year-old for a couple of seasons.

But if the Bulls are able to get draft capital out of it, it wouldn’t be the worst idea.

The question is whether or not Chicago would want to use that much of its cap space on an aging veteran just to get more picks.

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