INSTANT GRADE: Bulls Sending Ayo Dosunmu to Timberwolves, Land Rob Dillingham & Picks (UPDATE)

The Chicago Bulls have entered full-blown teardown mode.

After moving Kevin Huerter, Nikola Vucevic, and Coby White in recent days, Arturas Karnisovas has started deadline day by dealing Ayo Dosunmu. The 25-year-old guard will look to continue his career year with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are currently 32-20 and 5th in the Western Conference.

Here is the full trade, via ESPN's Shams Charania:

Bulls get: Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, and four second-round picks
Timberwolves get: Ayo Dosunmu, Julian Phillips

UPDATE: (11:40 AM CT) According to Michael Scotto, the second round picks for Dosunmu are in 2026 (least favorable of DEN/GSW), 2027 (via Cavaliers), 2031 (most favorable of MIN/GSW), and 2032 (more favorable of PHX/HOU).

The years of the current draft picks are unknown, but the additions bring the Bulls' total count of second-round picks to a staggering 14. They have acquired NINE over the last week. Karnisovas first added two for helping the Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings pull off a trade on January 31.

He proceeded to grab three more in the deal that sent Coby White to the Charlotte Hornets before securing these four picks for Dosunmu. For what it's worth, the Bulls also exchanged future selections in their deal with Boston for a likely higher second-round pick in this upcoming draft.

OTHER TRADE GRADES
– Kevin Huerter for Jaden Ivey
– Nikola Vucevic to Boston
– Coby White joins Hornets
– Dalen Terry Head to New York

Grading the Chicago Bulls' Ayo Dosunmu Trade

Ayo Dosunmu of the Chicago Bulls — Feb 3, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) dribbles the ball against Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins (13) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls have been connected for months. Many initially believed that the back-to-back Western Conference Finals squad could be a serious player for Coby White. They had long been searching for an answer at the lead guard position as Mike Conley aged and Rob Dillingham failed to make an immediate impact. Nevertheless, Dosunmu's name had seemingly also entered the mix in recent weeks, and Minnesota finally makes the move after White lands in Charlotte.

Dosunmu has been in the thick of a career year. While the win-loss column may not allow it, he has performed like a legitimate Sixth Man of the Year candidate. He's averaging 15.0 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.0 rebounds on a fantastic 51.4 percent shooting from the field. This has included one of the best seasons in the NBA from long range, registering a 45.1 percent clip on 4.3 attempts a night.

With that in mind, it's no wonder rumors started to swirl that Dosunmu had become the Bulls' most coveted trade asset. It's also no wonder that many started to believe Chicago could look to keep Dosunmu and re-sign him this offseason. While the guard is headed toward unrestricted free agency, the cost to keep him around long-term is expected to be less than what it would take to keep White. Add in the fact that he has clearly fit in well with the Bulls' preferred style of play, and a strong case could have been made for taking things into the summer.

Nonetheless, the Bulls decided to push their foot down harder on the gas ... only to hit a pothole. It's hard to call this return for Dosunmu anything but underwhelming. While four future second-round picks are certainly a hefty sum, not landing a future first-rounder for Dosunmu's breakout year burns. The same can be said about missing out on Joan Beringer. The Timberwolves seven-foot rookie would have made a ton of sense with the Bulls' new youth movement.

Instead, Chicago takes a flyer on ... you guessed it ... another young guard. Dillingham is the former No. 8 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. While expectations were high coming into the league, the Kentucky standout has failed to carve out a role at the NBA level. Now, might some of that be because the Timberwolves have been in win-now mode? Absolutely, but he's also looked incredibly out of his element when on the court. Dillingham has averaged just 4.0 points and 1.9 assists on 39.8 percent shooting over his 84 games played.

The good news is the Bulls should be able to give the 21-year-old the runway he needs to possibly find his footing ... maybe. Chicago's roster remains stuffed with guards, and Billy Donovan has rarely been one to fork over strictly developmental minutes. If guys like Anfernee Simons and Collin Sexton stick around past the deadline, is there really a path toward meaningful playing time for Dillingham over the next couple of months?

As for Leonard Miller, he is essentially a throw-in who will hit free agency in a few months. The six-foot-ten forward will at least give Chicago some more size at the wings, as well as another explosive athlete to run with Giddey in the open floor.

GRADE: C-