Bulls Eye Ideal Two-Way Trade Target as Pelicans Struggle
The Chicago Bulls opened the season convinced they had finally found something real. A 5–0 start had the league paying attention. Josh Giddey looked like he had unlocked a new version of himself and rookie
But once the early shine faded, the same preseason concerns returned. Defensive lapses have resurfaced, the wing rotation has shown its limitations and Chicago needs another player who can guard elite scorers while spacing the floor without disrupting the young core.
There is one name that checks every box.
As the New Orleans Pelicans continue to sink toward the bottom of the standings, rival teams are watching closely. If New Orleans reaches a point where they consider a reset, Chicago should position itself at the front of the line.
Trey Murphy Emerging as the Cleanest Fit
Nothing about the Pelicans feels settled right now.
Murphy has been the lone stabilizer. He leads New Orleans in key categories. He is scoring efficiently, defending at a high level and playing like someone ready for a much bigger role. On a roster that has lacked continuity, Murphy has stood out as the one player consistently elevating the group.
At six foot nine with a seven foot one wingspan, he fits exactly what Chicago is missing. Isaac Okoro is a strong point-of-attack defender but cannot carry the entire perimeter workload.
Murphy offers a complete two-way profile. The versatility to guard one through four is rare at his size, and the
This is the type of player who elevates a team the moment he walks into the building.
Why Murphy Fits the Bulls Timeline
GettyTrey Murphy III of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts to making a basket in the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors.
Murphy is twenty five and entering his prime. His contract is stable and predictable, starting at
Chicago also has the draft capital to make a real offer. They control all their first-round picks plus an additional pick from Portland. If the Pelicans continue trending downward, Murphy becomes the most valuable player they could move for future flexibility.
Chicago should not be passive. Windows like this do not stay open for long.
Murphy boosts the defense immediately and gives the group a more versatile backbone. Offensively, his shooting creates space for Giddey and opens the floor in a way Chicago has been missing. He also provides Buzelis with a long-term running mate in the frontcourt and fits seamlessly into lineups with
Looking Ahead: Bulls Must Stay Ready
The Bulls have shown real progress early in the season. Chicago’s identity is starting to form, the young core looks increasingly competitive and the overall style is becoming clearer with each game.
What they need now is the final two-way piece that ties everything together.
Trey Murphy III fits the roster, the timeline and the vision. He is the cleanest upgrade on the market. And as the Pelicans continue to struggle, the odds of him becoming available are rising by the week.
If New Orleans opens the door, Chicago has to be ready to walk through it.
Falcons brilliant two quarterback plan may not last more than two years
The Falcons season quickly went from bad to worse last Sunday. Not only did they lose their fifth straight game in gut-wrenching fashion once again — effectively eliminating their already dim postseason hopes — but they also might have lost Michael Penix Jr. to another ACL reconstruction.
Penix has already been placed on IR and is currently getting second opinions on his knee, which is never a good sign, especially for a quarterback with an already lengthy injury history. This would be Penix’s fifth season-ending injury in the last eight years dating back to college, and he has already had both ACLs surgically repaired.
If that’s the direction this goes, it’s the Falcons’ ultimate nightmare. The season is lost, but that’s a pill they could have swallowed had Penix shown true signs of positive development over a 17-game sample size. That’s no longer possible, and even worse, they still have no real answer on their second-year quarterback.
Penix flashed the skill set at times that made the Falcons fall in love with him. He also looked like an inaccurate rookie with just a handful of starts under his belt. That’s to be expected from a first-year starter, especially when the situation around him isn’t exactly conducive to development. Zac Robinson has proven to be a well-below-average play caller, and the Falcons receiving corps — outside of Drake London and Kyle Pitts (at times) — has been essentially non-existent.
There’s no way to tell from Penix’s 10 starts this year whether he can be a successful franchise quarterback, and his injury leaves the Falcons in total limbo.
Penix might not be fully healthy — if he ever is — until the fourth year of his rookie contract. The Falcons can’t just sit and wait around without addressing quarterback until then, especially with a new regime likely taking over next year. There’s no reason Terry Fontenot or Raheem Morris should be kept around, and the next general manager and head coach are going to want to select their own guy under center.
Which brings us to the number one reason Fontenot and Morris might never find another opening in their respective roles — the brilliant decision to take two massive swings at quarterback in one offseason.
During the summer of 2024, there were enough yes-men in the building who actually thought it was a good idea to sign the top free-agent quarterback to a $180 million contract and then turn around and draft a quarterback in the top 10. The entire NFL world mocked the Falcons — as they should have — but Atlanta put up this facade like they were the smartest people in the room. They had figured out a way to be contenders for the next 20 years! Who could possibly argue with that?
The reality, as we know now, was much more grim. The quarterback controversy was unavoidable from the moment the two arrived, and the minute things got hot, the Falcons quickly turned to the rookie. At that moment, their $100 million investment in Kirk Cousins might as well have been tossed into the inferno, and the entire regime’s fate rested on the shoulders of Michael Penix Jr. — who proved to be no better than his predecessor.
The Falcons believed they found a foolproof plan to compete now and in the future, but instead they look like the biggest fools. And in just two short years, they will find themselves right back on the quarterback carousel, looking for answers at the most important position in the sport.
