Chicago Bulls reportedly trade for guard Buddy Hield, sending Rob Dillingham to the Hornets

The Chicago Bulls on Saturday acquired guard Buddy Hield from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Rob Dillingham, per an ESPN report.

The trade came shortly before players report to training camp next week, reflecting the willingness of the new front office to continue tweaking a malleable roster during a rebuilding season.

The Bulls acquired Dillingham at the February trade deadline during his second season in the league. The undersized guard had struggled to make an impression on the Minnesota Timberwolves after they acquired him in a draft-day trade from the San Antonio Spurs, who selected him with the No. 8 pick in 2024.

Those challenges persisted in Chicago, where Dillingham averaged 9.6 points and 2.8 assists in 30 games without cracking the starting rotation. After the regime change at the end of last season, new executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham opted not to bring Dillingham to Las Vegas for summer league, ultimately determining that the 21-year-old guard did not fit the team’s long-term picture.

At 33, Hield will bring experience to a young team whose future is anchored around young players such as 2026 first-round pick Caleb Wilson, 20, and Matas Buzelis, 21. The No. 6 pick in the 2016 draft, Hield has become a journeyman in the NBA, bouncing between seven teams before landing with the Bulls. The most significant years of his career were spent during parts of two seasons with the Golden State Warriors from 2024-26, when he made it through the second round of the Western Conference playoffs in 2025.

Hield averaged 7.6 points and 1.4 assists in 51 games last season. He is entering the third season of a four-year, $37.8 million deal after he was traded from the Warriors to the Atlanta Hawks at the February deadline. The Hawks traded Hield to the Hornets on Tuesday in a deal for Dorian Finney-Smith.

The Bulls still have one open spot on their roster as they enter training camp, which begins Monday with media day.