Bulls-OKC (Joker in play next summer?)

pipfan · Post #1 » by **pipfan** » Mon Aug 10, 2026 1:27 pm

Simple traded-Topic for LMiller
OKC saves $3 million-which is a savings of over $17 million counting the tax relief. That's A LOT of money to add a player who fits their needs better (after this deal, they still have SGA/Caruso/Wallace/Mitchell/Stirtz/McCain at guard)

Bulls balance the roster a bit. They have their (hopefully) franchise player set at the 4 with Wilson, and still have Noa E, PWill, JSmith to play the 4 (and Matas can play their too-if Okoro/Swain need minutes at the 3).

Bulls are light in the backcourt, so this balances the equation some. We'd end up with a backcourt of
Giddey/Jones/Dillingham (in this plan, Chi CAN'T pick up his 2027 option)
Powell/Okoro/Topic

This also helps Chi set themselves up for a possible run at Jokic next summer. OF COURSE, he'll probably resign in Denver, but what if OKC/SA just look way too tough and Den has another disappointing playoff run. Jokic might start thinking of a move, and Chi has a huge Serbian population. The Bulls then add his buddy Topic, and if Wilson is promising (probable) and Matas keeps improving (probable) this could be a REALLY nice lineup

Giddey/Jones
Powell/Topic
Matas/Swain
Wilson/Noa
Jokic/Claxton

That lineup would cost about the cap projected for 2027. That could be a contender if Wilson/Matas are studs (Giddey/Powell already solid-marginal all star types)

Apz · Post #2 » by **Apz** » Mon Aug 10, 2026 1:34 pm

That a city got a huge X population must be the worst reason somronr can come up with to get a player to team Y. Why on earth would that matter? Id jokic in this case supposed to wander the city looking for friends?

Godaddycurse · Post #3 » by **Godaddycurse** » Mon Aug 10, 2026 1:54 pm

yea i dont think topic has any bearing on whether or not jokic signs with chicago next year. the trade itself is fine though i think OKC rather dump topic straight up if the goal is to maximize salary savings

BigGargamel · Post #4 » by **BigGargamel** » Mon Aug 10, 2026 5:20 pm

LOL @ Jokic to CHI

pipfan · Post #5 » by **pipfan** » Mon Aug 10, 2026 5:27 pm

Apz wrote:That a city got a huge X population must be the worst reason somronr can come up with to get a player to team Y. Why on earth would that matter? Id jokic in this case supposed to wander the city looking for friends?

I actually gave a bunch of reasons

Western Conference is a dead end with OKC/SA in the way, and they are both young. Jokic wants to return to the Finals and goes East. Not many teams in the East would have cap space to sign him.

Chi has huge Serbian population, and they add a fellow countryman in Topic (a good gamble anyway for Bulls-since he has talent). Chicago is a great city with a huge international following.

Bulls have a good, young core. This is only possible if Matas takes a step and Wilson is a stud. But, Giddey/Powell/Matas/Wilson/Jokic, with Jones/Claxton as the main bench could be a good team

pipfan · Post #6 » by **pipfan** » Mon Aug 10, 2026 5:27 pm

Godaddycurse wrote:yea i dont think topic has any bearing on whether or not jokic signs with chicago next year. the trade itself is fine though i think OKC rather dump topic straight up if the goal is to maximize salary savings

I figure OKC would want a forward, and Miller has some pop, and he's cheap.

jayjaysee · Post #7 » by **jayjaysee** » Mon Aug 10, 2026 6:37 pm

I don’t think it’s crazy to think Chicago could be on Joker’s hypothetical free agency list next offseason. It would be because Caleb is an immediate two way impact player and Matas took a step.. not sure Topic would really matter.

Imagine Chicago would have to bring in an upgrade at guard either way to really be a contender, but they’d have the assets to do that if Joker was coming.

HornetJail · Post #8 » by **HornetJail** » Mon Aug 10, 2026 7:01 pm

the Jokic thing is pointless and not happening, and adding that just takes away from the bench swap which probably has a little bit of merit

chrbal · Post #9 » by **chrbal** » Mon Aug 10, 2026 8:26 pm

I doubt Joker goes to a team still being built

Devilanche · Post #10 » by **Devilanche** » Tue Aug 11, 2026 5:11 am

jayjaysee wrote:I don’t think it’s crazy to think Chicago could be on Joker’s hypothetical free agency list next offseason. It would be because Caleb is an immediate two way impact player and Matas took a step.. not sure Topic would really matter.

Imagine Chicago would have to bring in an upgrade at guard either way to really be a contender, but they’d have the assets to do that if Joker was coming.

If you want sign his countryman do it after he come . Not before. All those other reasons is why you sign . That friend you sign for him is after it’s done so he will feel easier to settle in .

vxmike · Post #11 » by **vxmike** » Tue Aug 11, 2026 5:40 am

jayjaysee wrote:I don’t think it’s crazy to think Chicago could be on Joker’s hypothetical free agency list next offseason. It would be because Caleb is an immediate two way impact player and Matas took a step.. not sure Topic would really matter.

Imagine Chicago would have to bring in an upgrade at guard either way to really be a contender, but they’d have the assets to do that if Joker was coming.

Yeah it’s crazy. The Bulls are a basketball wasteland and the owner is too cheap to build a contender even if he could (he can’t). We might as well talk about Jokic to Sacramento.

pipfan · Post #12 » by **pipfan** » Tue Aug 11, 2026 7:25 am

vxmike wrote:
jayjaysee wrote:I don’t think it’s crazy to think Chicago could be on Joker’s hypothetical free agency list next offseason. It would be because Caleb is an immediate two way impact player and Matas took a step.. not sure Topic would really matter.

Imagine Chicago would have to bring in an upgrade at guard either way to really be a contender, but they’d have the assets to do that if Joker was coming.

Yeah it’s crazy. The Bulls are a basketball wasteland and the owner is too cheap to build a contender even if he could (he can’t). We might as well talk about Jokic to Sacramento.

No offense to Sacramento, but come on. Chi is a huge market, and still a giant internationally. I live overseas and travel a lot, and I see Bulls' gear more than any other team

Chi having a huge Serbian population is a plus, but my assumption is mainly based on 2 things
Den a quick out again next year, and Jokic sees no immediate hope to overcome both SA and OKC in the next 5 years
Chi's young core pops-Wilson is a ROY candidate, Matas is a stud and Giddey/Powell remain good. You put Jokic on there, with Jones/Claxton as the main bench, and that's a contender

vxmike · Post #13 » by **vxmike** » Tue Aug 11, 2026 5:24 pm

pipfan wrote:
vxmike wrote:
jayjaysee wrote:I don’t think it’s crazy to think Chicago could be on Joker’s hypothetical free agency list next offseason. It would be because Caleb is an immediate two way impact player and Matas took a step.. not sure Topic would really matter.

Imagine Chicago would have to bring in an upgrade at guard either way to really be a contender, but they’d have the assets to do that if Joker was coming.

Yeah it’s crazy. The Bulls are a basketball wasteland and the owner is too cheap to build a contender even if he could (he can’t). We might as well talk about Jokic to Sacramento.

No offense to Sacramento, but come on. Chi is a huge market, and still a giant internationally. I live overseas and travel a lot, and I see Bulls' gear more than any other team

Chi having a huge Serbian population is a plus, but my assumption is mainly based on 2 things
Den a quick out again next year, and Jokic sees no immediate hope to overcome both SA and OKC in the next 5 years
Chi's young core pops-Wilson is a ROY candidate, Matas is a stud and Giddey/Powell remain good. You put Jokic on there, with Jones/Claxton as the main bench, and that's a contender

FAs don’t come to the Bulls despite them having a big legacy fan base since the MJ years. They sign aging past prime stars to overpaid last contracts. They draft horribly, consistently fail to develop youth, and have a dirt cheap owner.

Chicago is cold and has high state taxes too.

If Jokic leaves Denver he’s going to LA to play with Luka. The Lakers are clearly structuring their salaries to entertain this possibility.

Saints14 · Post #14 » by **Saints14** » Wed Aug 12, 2026 12:26 am

The trade is fine but on the Jokic piece, is there any evidence he cares much about geography? If anything for a horse guy like him Denver is probably the place that most easily lets him live out in nature and still be close to the arena

pipfan · Post #15 » by **pipfan** » Wed Aug 12, 2026 7:15 am

Saints14 wrote:The trade is fine but on the Jokic piece, is there any evidence he cares much about geography? If anything for a horse guy like him Denver is probably the place that most easily lets him live out in nature and still be close to the arena

My idea for Jokic is centered around 2 things-him wanting to leave the West, with OKC/SA looking like too much to overcome and finding the right fit in the East. The Bulls would have the space to sign him, with a good young core around him (with the assumptions about WIlson/Matas being true).

If he wanted to go East, where else would he go? For a trade, it'd cost the new team a ton (more than Giannis, I'd think) and few teams would have cap space, plus the players to entice him. The Chicago having a huge Serbian population and adding Topic are just extra incentives for him.