New Orleans Pelicans' draft night trade that sent shockwaves through the league, including a reported clandestine contact with the Bulls, may have been nothing more than a clever ruse to get under opponents' skin.
According to a high-ranking source close to the Chicago Bulls, Pelicans general manager Joe Dumars never actually reached out to Bulls executive Arturas Karnisovas about trading up from 23 to 13. Instead, it was all just a big show.
The Bulls claim they were caught off guard by Dumars' bold move and would have gladly taken him up on the offer if one had been made. However, that never happened. What did happen, though, is the Pelicans drafted Maryland big man Derik Queen at 13.
Dumars maintains he called teams starting from number 9 to work his way down, but a Bulls insider says that's just a load of hot air. It's possible Dumars was trying to deflect attention from the fact that he didn't protect a first-round pick in what's shaping up to be an incredibly deep 2026 draft.
The Bulls took advantage of this situation by drafting defensive specialist Noa Essengue at 12, but it looks like they got outsmarted by Dumars. The Pelicans' general manager has been doubling down on his claims, saying multiple times that he reached out to the Bulls about trading up. It's a tactic some might see as desperate or petty.
Despite all the drama, the Bulls seemed to take it in stride during their game against the Hornets, with new additions Tre Jones and Jalen Smith contributing to the team's success. And of course, there was the triumphant return of defensive stalwart Isaac Okoro, who helped anchor a better-than-expected performance from his teammates.
However, not everyone got back on track as easily. Guards Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter are still rehabbing injuries, with no word yet on when they might be back in action.
According to a high-ranking source close to the Chicago Bulls, Pelicans general manager Joe Dumars never actually reached out to Bulls executive Arturas Karnisovas about trading up from 23 to 13. Instead, it was all just a big show.
The Bulls claim they were caught off guard by Dumars' bold move and would have gladly taken him up on the offer if one had been made. However, that never happened. What did happen, though, is the Pelicans drafted Maryland big man Derik Queen at 13.
Dumars maintains he called teams starting from number 9 to work his way down, but a Bulls insider says that's just a load of hot air. It's possible Dumars was trying to deflect attention from the fact that he didn't protect a first-round pick in what's shaping up to be an incredibly deep 2026 draft.
The Bulls took advantage of this situation by drafting defensive specialist Noa Essengue at 12, but it looks like they got outsmarted by Dumars. The Pelicans' general manager has been doubling down on his claims, saying multiple times that he reached out to the Bulls about trading up. It's a tactic some might see as desperate or petty.
Despite all the drama, the Bulls seemed to take it in stride during their game against the Hornets, with new additions Tre Jones and Jalen Smith contributing to the team's success. And of course, there was the triumphant return of defensive stalwart Isaac Okoro, who helped anchor a better-than-expected performance from his teammates.
However, not everyone got back on track as easily. Guards Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter are still rehabbing injuries, with no word yet on when they might be back in action.
the pelicans must've been trying to pull a fast one on the bulls but it looks like dumars got caught red-handed 
i mean, who tries to spin a fake trade call and hopes people don't fact-check? anyway, it's good to see the bulls came out on top with essengue though 
what's up with the pelicans' draft strategy tho? did they really think 13 was the right spot for queen? 
. It seems like Joe Dumars was really trying to get under the Bulls' skin and distract from his own questionable moves... or maybe he was just plain scared of getting roasted online for not protecting that first-round pick 
. Either way, it's all water under the bridge now and the Pelicans got their guy with Derik Queen 
. The Bulls seem to have handled it well and are looking strong this season 
! I mean, what's the point of even having a draft if you're just gonna play games? It feels like Joe Dumars was trying to get under everyone's skin just for kicks...like, what's up with that?! 
And now the Bulls are like "oh no we got outsmarted by Pelicans"...can't they just keep it together?! 
At least the Pelicans got a good player in Derik Queen...that's all that matters! 
. I mean, come on Joe, if you didn't protect that pick, why not just admit it instead of lying about it? 
That's what I'm thinking! Dumars is trying to save face after botching his own protection of that first-round pick. It's like he thinks we're all gullible 
.
. The Bulls are smarting from Dumars' move, but they're still riding high after that win against the Hornets. That's what separates the champs from the benchwarmers 
. If you want to be taken seriously as a GM, you can't just make up stories about clandestine contacts 
.