Maybe this is exactly what Bulls Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas had in mind when he traded Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings.

Grab Kevin Huerter because he’s going to take over LaVine’s starting spot as the big guard/wing. Make sure Zach Collins comes via San Antonio because he’ll hold down the fort and post a few massive double-doubles while Nikola Vucevic is hurt. And don’t forget Collins’ teammate Tre Jones, who’s going to develop into a critical piece of coach Billy Donovan’s backcourt.

Maybe that was the plan all along, and what was thought to be an underwhelming return was, in fact, a stroke of genius.

That seems unlikely.

What Karnisovas may have known at the time, though, was what getting his pick that was sent to the Spurs in the DeMar DeRozan trade of 2021 would mean for the franchise moving forward. Because now it gives him ammunition to make trades he otherwise couldn’t have, including moving up in this year’s draft.

After watching the 2025 iteration of March Madness, that’s precisely what Karnisovas needs to do: Take that pick, pair it with some others, and move up to grab the exact prospect Chicago needs to fit its current roster and accelerate its rebuild.

Bulls must trade up in 2025 NBA Draft to pick Khaman Maluach

This year’s Duke roster is loaded with NBA players. Led by Cooper Flagg, the Blue Devils boast likely lottery picks in Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. The latter is who Chicago needs to land this offseason, no matter what it takes.

Maluach was built in a lab to be a dominant interior presence. He’s 7-foot-2 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan and 9-foot-8 standing reach. Despite picking up a basketball for the first time only six years ago, he’s already capable of utilizing that size as an offensive rebounder and shot blocker.

He would need more seasoning once he hits the NBA, but the 18-year-old is ready to use his skills as a rim-deterrent and rebounder now while he becomes more nuanced as a big man.

Watching the above clip and imagining his fit with a point guard like Josh Giddey or even a selfless combo guard like Coby White should have Bulls fans salivating. And speaking of Giddey and White, that backcourt won’t ever be known for its defensive acumen. Having someone like Maluach—who’s also agile enough to hedge on pick-and-rolls, hang with guards on the perimeter and recover back to the rim—is squarely what Chicago needs.

The question is whether it’s worth spending extra draft capital to move up when the Bulls are more than just one player away from becoming a legitimate contender. But adding a potential defensive anchor for the next decade to a roster that’s already geared toward offense is too perfect an opportunity to pass up, even if it means losing out on a few more bites at the superstar apple.