The Bulls acquired Hield and cash from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Dillingham.
Less than 24 hours after finalizing their training camp roster, the Chicago Bulls shipped out a 21-year-old guard in favor of a veteran sharpshooter.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Bulls are trading Rob Dillingham to the Charlotte Hornets. Chicago acquired Dillingham at the midseason deadline in the Ayo Dosunmu deal, and the former No. 8 overall pick is now set to play for his third NBA team in three years.
In return, the Bulls are receiving experienced shooting guard Buddy Hield, who was traded from the Atlanta Hawks for wing Dorian Finney-Smith on Tuesday.
Hield is coming off the worst statistical season of his career at age 33, but could still provide a significant benefit to the Bulls' lineup.
Let's grade the deal:
Trade Details
Chicago Bulls receive: G Buddy Hield, cash
Charlotte Hornets receive: G Rob Dillingham
Jan 19, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield (7) controls the ball against Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins (22) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images Chicago Bulls Trade Grade: B+
From 2016 to 2025, Hield averaged 15.0 points per game while shooting 39.7% from deep. He struggled significantly last season, averaging just 7.6 points per game between the Warriors and Hawks and making a career-worst 34.9% of his three-pointers. Hield was in and out of both lineups and played in 51 games, the fewest during his 10-year career.
Hield is still a capable role-player and an addition that makes sense, given the roster's shooting deficiency. Bryson Graham went out and signed free agent Norman Powell — a career 39.6% three-point shooter — after saying that he wasn't worried about his team's perceived lack of shooting. Hield will likely come off the bench as long as Powell is in Chicago, and if he can bounce back from a down 2025-26 season, Hield could provide a capable shooting option to provide spacing for Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis.
Dillingham needs playing time to develop and would've been buried behind Josh Giddey, Tre Jones, Powell and No. 15 overall pick Dailyn Swain. Despite showing flashes during April, all evidence points to the likelihood that Dillingham will not become a consistent enough shooter or scorer to contribute to this Bulls team long-term.
In its essence, this trade is the Bulls using their cap space to absorb Hield's $9.6 million salary (and his $10.1 million player option for 2027-28) by giving Dillingham's $6.9 million salary to Charlotte. Chicago moves off of a player that they didn't want to invest in anyway and receives much-needed shooting, in addition to cash.
If Hield bounces back, the Bulls either have a consistent shooter that will create spacing on offense or a potential trade asset to collect future draft capital.
The Bulls could have earned a higher grade than a B+ for this trade if they had also acquired a draft pick in exchange for taking on more salary. But as Graham's moves during the draft tell us, opposing teams appear unwilling to attach draft compensation to shed salary, so cash may be as good as Chicago can get.
