The Chicago Bulls have started their rebuilding stage with Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Nic Claxton, and Caleb Wilson, looking to build a new structure and identity under new head coach Tiago Splitter in what will be a new stage for the franchise.
Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz already have players like Keyonte George, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and the No. 2 pick in the draft, Darryn Peterson, and they are one of the new contenders in the West to make the playoffs, but Walker Kessler’s departure left a hole that they should fill with another interior defender.
On the Dallas Mavericks’ side, they finally pointed all their guns toward the rebuild behind Cooper Flagg, after already trading Anthony Davis last season, and now they have three veterans they’re open to moving, including a very interesting piece in Daniel Gafford.
For that reason, here is a mock trade where each of these teams would find something they currently need, and it makes sense for all three sides.
The Trade Idea
Chicago Bulls Receive: Kyle Filipowski
Utah Jazz Receive: Daniel Gafford, 2027 first-round pick (top-11 protected)
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Jalen Smith, John Konchar, Brice Sensabaugh
The money side is quite easy to deal with. The Bulls would send out Jalen Smith’s $9.4 million salary and receive Kyle Filipowski, who makes only $3.0 million, so Chicago would actually save more than $6.0 million in this deal.
The Jazz would trade Filipowski’s $3.0 million and Brice Sensabaugh’s $4.9 million, a total of $7.9 million, while taking back Daniel Gafford at $17.3 million. Utah would add around $9.4 million in salary, but the Jazz have enough room to make that work.
Dallas would send out Gafford’s $17.3 million and receive Smith at $9.4 million, John Konchar at $6.2 million, and Sensabaugh at $4.9 million, for a total of $20.5 million coming back. That means the Mavericks would add around $3.2 million in salary, and with roughly $9.5 million of room below the first apron, the trade would still fit financially.
Why The Bulls Should Make The Call
Kyle Filipowski is the reason Chicago gives up the best asset in this deal. The 22-year-old center produced 11.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in only 23.4 minutes last season, shooting 49.2% from the field and 32.5% from three. That works out to roughly 17.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per 36 minutes, which is a very good average for a second-year player who was still learning how to defend NBA size.
More importantly, Filipowski gives the Bulls something different from Nic Claxton. Claxton is the rim runner and defensive center, while Filipowski can catch the ball outside, pass, put it on the floor, and at least force defenses to respect his jumper. The 32.5% from three needs to improve, but the skill level is already there.
Chicago also gets much younger. Jalen Smith is 26 and entering the final season of his contract at $9.4 million, while Filipowski is 22, costs only $3.0 million, and remains under team control through 2027-28 before restricted free agency.
Smith was good last season, giving the Bulls 10.2 points and 6.7 rebounds while hitting 37.3% from three, but a right calf injury ended his season after 53 games. He is solid for a rotation, but there isn’t much long-term upside left to discover.
Filipowski fits much better with Buzelis and Wilson’s timeline. Chicago can use Claxton against stronger centers, then play Filipowski when the team wants more offense and passing from the five, as they did with Nikola Vucevic back then.
The first-round pick is the difficult part, but protecting it through No. 11 limits the downside. If the Bulls are bad again, they keep it. If they are finally around the Play-In or playoff level, Utah gets a later first, and Chicago has already turned that pick into a 22-year-old gem.
Why The Jazz Get Exactly What Their Roster Needs
Utah’s defense was terrible last season. The Jazz allowed 120.8 points per 100 possessions, 29th in the NBA, and opponents scored 126.0 points per game against them. Utah has ranked in the bottom two defensively for three straight seasons, while finishing last in both transition points allowed and three-pointers allowed during that stretch.
Now that they’ll have Jaren Jackson Jr. healthy and ready to leave the tanking job behind, the defense should improve a ton for next season, but they’re still lacking that backup center who can come in and still be a solid anchor. Daniel Gafford doesn’t provide that Kessler-level of protection, but he fixes something very specific.
Gafford finished 2025-26 with 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in only 21.7 minutes, shooting 65.5% from the field. His 4.9% block rate ranked in the 92nd percentile, and his offensive rebounding ranked in the 91st percentile, something Utah doesn’t currently have after moving Kessler. Gafford can protect the rim, crash the offensive glass, set hard screens, and finish lobs or short rolls.
Filipowski is good, but the Jazz already have Markkanen, Jackson, and plenty of young frontcourt minutes to manage. Brice Sensabaugh is a talented scorer, putting up 14.9 points in only 23.5 minutes last season on 46.0% from the field and 36.7% from three, but he is also entering the final year of his rookie contract before restricted free agency.
Instead of deciding what to pay Sensabaugh and Filipowski soon, Utah turns both into a protected first-round pick and a proven NBA center under contract through 2028-29. Gafford’s deal is also very reasonable: $17.3 million this season, $18.1 million next year, and $19.0 million in 2028-29. If the Jazz still aren’t ready to win in a year or two, that salary should remain low enough to not bother future moves and signings.
Why The Mavericks Should Be Ready To Move Gafford
Dallas has the clearest reason to make this trade. They went 26-56 last season and are now building around Cooper Flagg, while Dereck Lively II is expected back after an injury-hit year. Masai Ujiri has also continued adding younger frontcourt pieces, including Santi Aldama and rookie Morez Johnson Jr.
That makes paying Gafford through 2029 less necessary. He is still a very good player, but injuries limited him to 55 games last season after only 57 the year before, and Dallas already has another young center in Lively who better fits Flagg’s timeline.
The return gives Dallas three different things. Jalen Smith gives them a cheaper replacement immediately. He costs $9.4 million, can rebound, and shot 37.3% from three last season, something Gafford simply doesn’t provide.
Sensabaugh is the upside piece. He is only 22 and already scored 14.9 points per game in 2025-26, with 20-point scoring ability whenever Utah gave him bigger minutes. His $4.9 million salary is also easy to carry, and Dallas could evaluate him for a full season before deciding what to do with his restricted free agency.
John Konchar is mostly there for salary and depth, but even that has some value. He makes $6.2 million on an expiring deal, so Dallas isn’t adding another long-term contract, and he can give them defense on the wing in limited minutes. Dallas would basically turn one 28-year-old center into a cheaper big man, a 22-year-old scorer, and an expiring veteran.
That makes sense for a team that should be thinking more about Flagg’s next five years than trying to hold together the roster from its old Finals run.
