Last night, the Chicago Bulls pulled off the most improbable upset of the young 2025-26 campaign. Denver was riding a seven-game winning streak, undefeated at home on the season, and was in second place in the Western Conference standings. Enter Josh Giddey and the Chicago Bulls. Thanks to a last-minute three-point make from Nikola Vucevic and clutch free throws to seal the deal, the Bulls were able to halt their five-game losing skid and steal one on the road without Coby White. They’ve featured a new hero every night, and have had sizeable contributions from the majority of the roster, but one bench member has been rising above the rest lately. Does he deserve more minutes, and could he crack the starting five down the road?
Many thought that the signing of Jalen Smith was a steal over the summer of 2024. He was inked to a three-year, $27 million contract after being in Indiana for the previous two seasons. In 64 outings last year, he averaged 8.2 points and 5.6 boards per night while shooting 32.4% from three-point land. He showed some promise, but nothing noteworthy. Through the first 13 games of this season, he’s elevated every part of his game and is one of the most essential assets in Chicago’s lethal second unit.
This year, he’s flexing 10.2 points and 6.3 rebounds, including a blazing 40.0% three-point clip while attempting a career-high 4.2 attempts per night. This month, he’s posted 11.9 points and 7.1 rebounds, while sniping at a 46.2% rate from deep on 4.9 attempts each contest. He’s quietly becoming the most crucial piece off the bench.
At this point, head coach Billy Donovan needs to find more minutes for the impressive big man. The two options would be promoting him to the starting five, replacing Nikola Vucevic, or experimenting with playing the two bigs side by side for stretches. The more likely answer is the latter, but Donovan has rarely deployed the two-center look. Since both big men can shoot the three-ball efficiently and stretch the floor, this isn’t an unrealistic idea. There have been several games where the opposition’s lineup features two bigs that overpower Matas Buzelis or Patrick Williams, putting Chicago in a tough defensive spot.
At just 25 years old and becoming one of the most talented bench players on the team, does Jalen Smith have a long-term future in Chicago? With improved consistency and better rim-protection, he might replace Vucevic after this season as the center moving forward. Vucevic is 34 years old, on an expiring contract this season, and the Bulls will see Zach Collins return from injury before the calendar turns to 2026.
If Smith’s play continues to shine, do the Bulls dangle Vucevic at the deadline, and move forward with Collins, Smith, and future draft capital from a Vucevic trade? Letting his contract expire with nothing in return would mean another veteran leaving the franchise without compensation for the team in Chicago. Given Arturas Karnisovas’s track record with expiring deals, that’s the most likely scenario.
