Bulls Fans Can Only Laugh at Kings’ Kevin Hurter Trade Disaster.

In the ever-dramatic world of NBA trades, few teams manage to walk away clean. Some win big, others eat their losses. And sometimes, there’s a deal so lopsided, so visibly flawed in hindsight, that even fans from unrelated franchises can’t help but shake their heads—or laugh. The Sacramento Kings’ acquisition of Kevin Hurter from the Atlanta Hawks is quickly becoming one of those trades. And for Chicago Bulls fans, currently riding their own rollercoaster of mediocrity, it’s a rare opportunity to laugh at someone else’s pain.

Let’s rewind to the summer of 2022. The Kings, fresh off yet another playoff-less season, were desperate for perimeter shooting and spacing. Their plan? Trade for Kevin Hurter, a sharpshooter with playoff experience and a sizable contract to match. Sacramento sent Atlanta a protected first-round pick and two role players in exchange for Hurter. On paper, it wasn’t a robbery. Hurter was coming off a strong season, and at just 24 years old, it seemed like he could flourish in a bigger role.

Fast forward to 2025, and it’s clear that the Kings got the short end of the stick.

Huerter’s stint in Sacramento has been nothing short of underwhelming. His shooting regressed, his defense exposed, and his inability to create his own shot left the Kings wondering what exactly they traded for. At his best, Hurter is a complementary piece—someone who thrives next to stars, not someone you build a system around. Unfortunately for Sacramento, they seemed to believe otherwise.

Meanwhile, that “protected” first-round pick they gave up? It’s dangerously close to conveying—potentially becoming a mid-first-rounder in a strong draft class. The Hawks, in retrospect, flipped a rotation player for a valuable asset and cleared cap space. Sacramento, on the other hand, may have locked themselves into mediocrity.

Now, this isn’t to pick on Hurter, a solid player with a specific skill set. But it’s the Kings’ decision-making that deserves scrutiny. They made a win-now move without being a win-now team. They misjudged their timeline, overestimated their core, and undervalued the draft capital they shipped out. Sound familiar?

Ask any Bulls fan.

Chicago has made its fair share of front-office missteps—trading for an aging Nikola Vučević, holding onto Zach LaVine’s massive contract through repeated injuries, and refusing to commit to a rebuild. But at least in Huerter’s case, Bulls fans can sit back and breathe a sigh of relief. Because if this trade had gone down on the United Center’s floor instead of Golden 1 Center’s, it would be national news in Chicago.

In a league where every team is trying to zig while others zag, the Kings zigged into a wall. And Bulls fans—used to their own organizational chaos—can finally look at another franchise making the same mistakes. It’s not schadenfreude as much as it is a moment of rare perspective.

Chicago fans have grown accustomed to hearing how “at least you’re not Sacramento.” That narrative took a hit when the Kings broke their 16-year playoff drought in 2023. But with questionable roster construction, cap issues, and now a Hurter trade blunder, Sacramento seems to be back on familiar ground. The West is getting tougher. The Kings’ window, once wide open, might be closing. And Hurter, earning over $16 million a year, isn’t the piece that’s going to push them over the top.

In comparison, the Bulls’ failures look… well, a little less grim. At least Chicago still holds on to their own draft picks. At least they haven’t traded for one-dimensional role players expecting star-level production. And at least they can now point to Sacramento as proof that bad decision-making isn’t limited to the Eastern Conference.

Does laughing at another team make things better in Chicago? Not really. But in a season where Bulls fans have had little to celebrate, it’s a reminder that every fanbase gets their turn in the disappointment spotlight. Today, it’s Sacramento. Tomorrow, it might be someone else. But for now, Bulls fans have earned a brief chuckle at someone else’s expense.

So, as Kevin Hurter struggles to live up to the expectations in Sacramento, and the Kings feel the sting of a deal gone wrong, Bulls fans can sit back and enjoy the moment. Because sometimes, laughter really is the best medicine—especially when your own team is treading water.