The Chicago Bulls just made a move that tells you a lot about what they think they’re building. They brought in Nic Claxton from Brooklyn as part of a three-team trade with the Timberwolves, and honestly, it’s the kind of gamble a team in their position probably has to take.
The deal itself is clean. Minnesota sent Julius Randle to the Nets. The Timberwolves picked up the No. 33 draft pick, Brooklyn got No. 28, and the Bulls absorbed Claxton’s remaining $44 million over two years. That leaves Chicago with about $31 million in cap space to play with this offseason. For a team doing a full rebuild, that’s a solid spot to be in.
But here’s the thing. Claxton isn’t the same player he was two years ago. He’s dealt with a string of injuries lately — a sprained finger that kept him out the last five games of this season, a thumb sprain, hip soreness, an ankle sprain. In 2024-25, he had a lower back strain that needed an epidural. That’s a lot of mileage for a guy who’s supposed to be your anchor.
When he’s right, though, he gives Chicago exactly what they’ve been missing. The Bulls have needed an athletic big man who can protect the rim, switch onto guards, and finish the pick-and-roll. That’s Claxton at his best. Last season he averaged 11.7 points and 6.9 boards in 69 games. Those are fine numbers, but the Bulls are betting on the version of him that was one of the best switch defenders in the league, not the guy who’s been a step slow lately.
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports pointed this out on social media. He said Claxton is “a looooong time removed from being any good on defense” and called him “a shell of his former self.” But he also noted that a change of environment could help. That’s the hope here.
The Bulls have the No. 4 and No. 15 picks in Monday’s draft. If they take Caleb Wilson at No. 4, O’Connor sees some real potential in a Claxton-Wilson frontcourt. He called it lean but extremely versatile, especially with Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey already in the mix. That’s a long, switchable group. The kind of lineup that can bother teams on the perimeter and recover in the paint.
There are risks. Claxton’s build is slender for a center, his block numbers have bounced around, and he fouls too much. But the Bulls are at a point where they can’t afford to be scared of that stuff. They need guys with upside who haven’t hit their ceiling yet.
Claxton may not be a star. But he fits the moment — and that might be exactly what Chicago needs right now.
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