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Report: Chicago Bulls trading guard Ayo Dosunmu to Minnesota Timberwolves

Danby: Daniel Hager02/05/26DanielHagerOn3

The Chicago Bulls are trading guard Ayo Dosunmu to the Minnesota Timberwolves. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the news on Thursday morning.

Chicago is parting ways with Dosunmu and forward Julian Phillips for guard Rob Dillingham and forward Leonard Miller. Also included in the trade are four-second round picks.

The fifth-year guard was enjoying a career season, averaging 15.0 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.0 rebounds. He now joins a Timberwolves organization that sits at 32-20, good for fifth in the Western Conference.

Across four-and-a-half seasons in Chicago, the Illinois alum averaged 10.9 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.9 rebounds. He was selected by the Bulls with the No. 38 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, but appeared in just one postseason with the organization. That appearance came in 2022, which saw Chicago knocked out in the First Round by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Ayo Dosunmu is strong addition for contending Timberwolves roster

Dosunmu is a Grand Slam addition for a Timberwolves team that only had to depart with 2024 lottery pick Rob Dillingham to get the deal done. He immediately becomes a strong bench piece behind starting point guard Donte DiVincenzo, who has upped his PPG average 2.3 points from last season.

With Dosunmu heading to Chicago, Dillingham will get a fresh start elsewhere. Dillingham, who shone with the Overtime Elite and Kentucky before being selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, just has never gotten going in Minnesota. Across two seasons, Dillingham has averaged just 4.0 points and 1.9 assists. Joining a clearly rebuilding Chicago roster, his opportunities will only grow larger.

In just the past few days, Chicago has parted ways with Dosunmu, Coby White, Nikola Vucevic, and Kevin Huerter. The Bulls currently sit at 24-27 overall, good for 10th in the Eastern Conference standings. While still more than alive for the NBA Play-In, it appears as if Chicago has decided to go all in on its future.

Per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Chicago has added nine second round picks in the last week, 14 total. Following the trade, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst claimed that the move probably rules out Minnesota for trading for Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. “You can tell Minnesota is not getting Giannis today,” Windy said.

The 2026 NBA Trade Deadline is set for Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. Superstars such as James Harden, Darius Garland, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Anthony Davis have already been dealt to different organizations.