The Chicago Bulls continued their aggressive roster teardown on Thursday, trading guard Ayo Dosunmu and forward Julian Phillips to the Minnesota Timberwolves hours before the 2 p.m. CT trade deadline, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
The Bulls received guard Rob Dillingham, forward Leonard Miller, and four second-round draft picks in return for Dosunmu and Phillips.
The trade marks the latest move in a week-long series of transactions that has completely reshaped the Bulls roster. Chicago also traded guard Coby White to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday and sent forward Dalen Terry to the New York Knicks late Wednesday night.
Dosunmu Trade Details
Dosunmu, 26, was having a career year for the Bulls before the trade. The Chicago native averaged 15.0 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game this season while shooting 51.4% from the field and 45.1% from three-point rangeβthe eighth-best mark in the NBA.
Over 324 career games with Chicago, Dosunmu averaged 10.9 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.9 rebounds. The former University of Illinois standout was selected in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft.
Dosunmu is in the final year of a three-year, $21 million contract and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He was listed as questionable for Thursday's game against Toronto with bilateral quadricep tendinitis.
Phillips, a third-year forward, averaged 2.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in just under 10 minutes per game this season.
Players Acquired from Minnesota
Dillingham, 21, was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Minnesota traded a 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap to San Antonio to move up and select the former Kentucky guard.
However, Dillingham struggled to find playing time with the playoff-contending Timberwolves. He appeared in 35 games off the bench this season, averaging 3.5 points and 1.7 assists in just 10 minutes per game while shooting 33% from the field.
Miller, a 6-foot-10 forward in his third NBA season, averaged 2.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in five minutes per game. He will become a free agent this summer.
The four second-round picks bring Chicago's total haul to 14 second-round selections going forward, with nine acquired in the past week alone.
Coby White to Charlotte
On Wednesday, the Bulls traded White to his hometown Charlotte Hornets. Chicago received guard Collin Sexton, forward Ousmane Dieng, and three second-round picks (the least favorable of the Hornets/Nuggets picks in 2029, plus the Knicks' 2031 pick and Nuggets' 2031 pick).
White, the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, was the final remaining player from the Gar Forman and John Paxson front office era. He was approaching unrestricted free agency this summer after dealing with injuries for much of this season.
Sexton, 27, is also an unrestricted free agent this summer. Dieng, who turns 23 in May, will be a restricted free agent if the Bulls extend the $8.7 million qualifying offer.
Terry Dealt to Knicks
Late Wednesday night, Chicago traded Terry to the New York Knicks for forward Guerschon Yabusele. The move was largely procedural, as Terry was set to become a free agent this summer and the Bulls had no plans to re-sign him.
Terry, the 18th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, never developed into the player Chicago envisioned. The 6-foot-6 guard played sparingly during his time with the Bulls.
Week of Roster Overhaul
The Dosunmu, White, and Terry trades cap a busy week for Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas. Since January 31, Chicago has also traded:
- Center Nikola Vucevic to the Boston Celtics
- Guard Kevin Huerter to the Detroit Pistons (in a three-team deal that brought back Jaden Ivey)
- Guard Mike Conley to Charlotte (as part of the White trade, after acquiring him from Minnesota)
The Bulls also signed guard Mac McClung to a two-way contract on Thursday.
In addition to the draft picks, Chicago has added guards Jaden Ivey, Collin Sexton, and Anfernee Simons, along with forwards Dillingham, Miller, Dieng, and Yabusele.
Looking Ahead
The Bulls entered Thursday with a 24-27 record, sitting in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, a source close to the situation said Karnisovas is still looking to add young frontcourt help.
The new foundation of the roster appears to be centered around Josh Giddey and rookie Matas Buzelis, with the team pivoting toward a full rebuild after years of middling results.
Minnesota (32-20) acquired Dosunmu to address their long-standing need for backcourt depth after trading Mike Conley earlier in the week. The Timberwolves, who sit fifth in the Western Conference, have made back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances.
The Bulls' next game is Thursday night against the Toronto Raptors at 6:30 p.m. on Prime Video.
Sources: ESPN (Shams Charania, Jamal Collier), Sports Illustrated, Chicago Sun-Times, NBC Chicago, Bleacher Report, BlogABull