The Chicago Bulls need to stop chasing Peyton Watson and start looking at Cameron Johnson instead. While Watson looks like a future star, Johnson offers a $23.1 million expiring contract that solves immediate problems without locking up the team. A trade for the Denver forward makes more sense for a squad trying to escape the lottery.
Why the Age Gap Matters Right Now
Peyton Watson is only 23 years old and coming off a breakout season in 2025-26. He has the athletic profile that executive vice president Bryson Graham seems to want. But Johnson brings something the current roster lacks entirely. According to Pippen Ain’t Easy, the Bulls have exactly zero prolific three-point shooters on their roster besides Norman Powell. Johnson fills that hole immediately.
Watson represents a long-term gamble that costs a lot of assets. Johnson sits on a deal that ends this summer. If the experiment fails, Chicago simply lets him walk and adds more cap space to their ledger. That flexibility is worth more than a young player who might not fit the system.
The Cost of Doing Business in Denver
Acquiring Watson would require a heavy price tag plus the assets needed to pry him away from Denver. Johnson is much easier to get. A package including Tre Jones, Isaac Okoro, and a lottery-protected first-round pick could be enough to seal the deal. This approach saves the team from losing their best young pieces for a player they do not need yet.
Even if the Bulls flip Johnson to a contender at the trade deadline, they could recoup some of the assets they gave away in the first place. This is a smart way to build while still helping head coach Tiago Splitter. Johnson would act as a floor spacer while aiding the development of Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis, and Josh Giddey.
Steering Clear of the Lottery
The goal for Chicago is to steer clear of the lottery relegation zone. Johnson helps the team do that right now. Watson might be the more attractive player on paper, but he does not seem to be what Graham is interested in acquiring. Finding a deal for Johnson is a Plan B worth exploring.
At age 30, Johnson does not possess the same upside as Watson. However, he is arguably a better fit for Chicago in the embryonic stage of its rebuild. The Bulls need to stop looking at the future and start fixing the present. Johnson provides a specific profile that Watson simply cannot match for this specific moment in time.
