Bulls trade machine
Bulls trades here are checked against the modeled 2023 CBA rules — salary matching, apron limits, hard caps, and pick rules — starting from the current 2026 offseason data, not a blank slate. That includes the part most trade machines miss: the Bulls are already hard-capped at $209.0M for the season (Buddy Hield acquired with an expanded traded-player exception). They operated as a cap-room team this July, so the MLE/BAE toolbox is already off the table — the sim arrives with that enforced.
What the Bulls can still do
Figures come from the current 2026 offseason feed; exceptions already spent in the feed stay spent.
Biggest Bulls salaries, 2026-27
Common questions
Can the Bulls use the mid-level exception?
No — the Bulls operated as a cap-room team this July, which forfeits the non-taxpayer MLE and bi-annual exception for the season. They keep the smaller Room MLE.
Can the Bulls aggregate salaries in a trade?
Yes — they're below the second apron, so they can combine outgoing contracts to match a bigger incoming salary.
Are the Bulls hard-capped?
Yes — at the first apron ($209.0M) for the rest of the season, triggered by Buddy Hield acquired with an expanded traded-player exception. Later moves are checked against that line.
Can the Bulls trade a first-round pick?
Yes — they control their own future firsts, subject to the Stepien rule's ban on trading firsts in consecutive future drafts.