Less than 24 hours after news broke, the Chicago Bulls made the Zach LaVine trade official.
The organization confirmed that they have moved the two-time All-Star to the Sacramento Kings as part of a three-team deal that resulted in De’Aaron Fox landing in San Antonio. The Bulls have received Kevin Huerter (SAC), Zach Collins (SAS), and Tre Jones (SAS) in the deal, as well as the rights to their own 2025 first-round pick. Chicago had previously dealt that selection to San Antonio with a Top 10 protection as part of the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade in 2021.
As for the Spurs, they receive De’Aaron Fox and Jordan McLaughlin from the Kings. Sacramento will land the largest haul, which features three future first-round picks (2025 Charlotte, 2027 San Antonio, 2031 Minnesota) and three second-round picks. One of those second-round picks will be the Bulls’ 2025 selection, which the Spurs already owned because of the same 2021 DeRozan trade. The other pick will be the Kings’ own 2028 second-round pick, which the Bulls acquired in this past offseason’s sign-and-trade that involved DeRozan. The final pick is a 2028 second-round pick the Spurs’ owned from the Nuggets.
Is your head spinning? If so, just know the Bulls gave up Zach LaVine and a second-round pick in this trade. Why did they have to hand over a piece of draft capital while forking up the second-best player in the deal? Great question!
Many have also voiced early frustration about the Bulls’ failure to receive any additional first-round picks for LaVine. However, regaining full control over their 2025 pick is at least something. While they were likely on track to keep their pick no matter what, this will at least remove any concerns of conveying the first-rounder in 2026 or 2027 when it would have only been In other words, the Bulls now have full control of their first-round draft picks for the foreseeable future. This is a necessity when you’re embarking on a rebuild.
Arturas Karnisovas released the following statement via Bulls dot com about LaVine’s tenure in Chicago:
“Zach has been a cornerstone for this organization and the city. He truly embraced what it means to be a Bull. His work ethic and passion for the game have been inspiring. During his time here, he not only grew as a player but also started a family, and we watched him develop into the person he is today,” said Arturas Karnisovas, EVP – Basketball Operations for the Chicago Bulls. “We also sincerely thank Chris and Torrey for their professionalism and contributions. Our organization is extremely appreciative of everything each of these guys have given to the team.”

Chicago Bulls Make Zach LaVine Trade Official
For the trade to be finalized, the Chicago Bulls had to create room to fit Jones, Collins, and Huerter. This meant they needed to clear two extra roster spots, which they announced in unison with the trade on Monday afternoon.
Veterans Torrey Craig and Chris Duarte have both been waived by the team. They were each on expiring contracts and saw very little playing time this season. Many once wondered whether Craig could become a small trade chip at this year’s deadline, but his recent struggles with an ankle injury made that nearly impossible. Regardless, he’ll likely be a hot name in the buyout market for a contender.
Even though the Bulls have welcomed all three of their new players to the organization on social media, there is no guarantee they will actually suit up for the franchise. The Bulls can theoretically flip any of the three again before Thursday’s deadline, and K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network reported shortly after the Bulls’ announcement that Huerter and/or Jones could still be moved.
Even if they do not move one of these players, the expectation is that they have at least one more move up their sleeve. More on that here.