Full Breakdown Of The First Deadline Move By Arturas Karnisovas

Last night, shortly after the Chicago Bulls took down the Miami Heat and snapped a three-game losing streak in the process, Arturas Karnisovas executed his first trade of the 2025-26 trade deadline season. Most rumors have indicated the franchise is looking to get younger and more athletic at the cutoff, and build around Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey. Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu are the most commonly named players in the speculation, but the only one the Bulls seem willing to move is White. Here’s what went down late Saturday night, and how it impacts the Bulls.

Acquiring Assets For Facilitating Deals

Chicago was not a main player in the trade last night; rather, they were a third team for salary-absorption purposes. The trade was primarily between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Sacramento Kings, seeing De’Andre Hunter head to the Kings in exchange for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis. Due to salary restrictions, Chicago is absorbing Dario Saric from the Kings, and his $5.4 million expiring contract is purely to balance the deal for the other two clubs. The Bulls are using a TPE, a trade exception, that they received in last season’s Zach LaVine trade, meaning they aren’t required to match or return the incoming salary. Karnisovas also secured two second-round picks for Chicago, one from each side, to finish the trade. Jevon Carter has been waived to make space for Saric, largely because of his higher contract value and his ill fit with the current roster.

BREAKING: The Cleveland Cavaliers are trading De'Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, sources tell ESPN. The three-team deal includes the Chicago Bulls acquiring Kings forward Dario Saric and two future second-round picks. pic.twitter.com/Hoc6bP0hhj

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 1, 2026

This is a win for the Chicago Bulls. They were able to add future draft stock, not surrender any assets, and maximize the trade exception they were granted a year ago. Karnisovas with a rare deadline win in the Windy City.

Loading Up For A Target

What most fans would assume, and most competent organizations would execute properly, is using the newfound draft stock to create a more appealing package in another trade. AK now has more capital to dangle in trades and sweeten deals, and can potentially be more aggressive for a desired addition. Are the Bulls priming for a major chess move?

The Bulls will use up the remainder of the big Zach LaVine trade exception they created last year to absorb Dario Saric.

They still have plenty of luxury tax space to facilitate more salary dumps with draft assets.

They now have seven second-round picks at their disposal. pic.twitter.com/Yg62pIEDIg

— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) February 1, 2026

With loads of cap space incoming this summer, seven expiring contracts on the books, and now a flurry of draft picks to utilize, will Arturas Karnisovas save his own job and the future of the Bulls in the next week? This could be a make-or-break period for the entire front office. Hopefully, this is the first of many moves to follow before Thursday’s deadline.