Why Are the Bulls Suddenly Connected to Jonathan Kuminga Again?

On the same day that Bennedict Mathurin reportedly landed with the New Orleans Pelicans, the Chicago Bulls have found themselves in another free agent rumor.

The Bulls were tied to Mathurin for months. Bryson Graham and Tiago Splitter were said to be fans of the Los Angeles Clippers guard, and they undoubtedly had the roster space/flexibility to bring him in. With that said, there were varying reports on just how interested the Bulls truly were, only for them to finally watch Mathurin head to New Orleans on Wednesday.

All things considered, it immediately felt like the end of the Mathurin drama could signal an end to all offseason activity for the Bulls. Training camp is a little over a month away, and Graham has emphasized the importance of maintaining financial freedom and roster malleability at every turn. Do the Cubs still have an open roster seat at their disposal? Sure, but it might make more sense for them to keep it that way as they head into a rebuilding 2026-27 campaign.

Nevertheless, it's quite fascinating that right after Mathurin was taken off the table, the Bulls were promptly tied to another young free agent. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported on Wednesday that Chicago is potentially a player in the Jonathan Kuminga situation.

"But I believe the Bulls are involved in Jonathan Kuminga's process to a real degree, in addition to Lakers, Wolves," Fischer wrote on social media.

But, yeah, NOLA has been the Bennedict Mathurin team since before February’s trade deadline. Said yesterday on @BleacherReport Chicago wasn’t factoring into his free agency. But I believe the Bulls are involved in Jonathan Kuminga’s process to a real degree, in addition to… https://t.co/hRRfd6RIP4
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) August 26, 2026

The Lakers and Timberwolves have been the two most popular teams tied to Kuminga for weeks. As for the Bulls, they have essentially never come up in earnest for the 23-year-old. To be clear, the previous front office was heavily attached to Kuminga over the last couple of years, but this seemingly fizzled out as the new regime took over.

Is it possible that missing out on Mathurin has changed things? Are the Bulls hearing that they can snag Kuminga for extremely cheap?

If one thing is for sure, there is one big reason to believe that the Bulls could emerge as a suitor. It was only a handful of months ago that Graham traded for Kuminga. Serving as the Hawks' GM last season, he and front-office leader Onsi Saleh added Kuminga and Buddy Hield at the trade deadline in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis.

No, this doesn't guarantee that Graham is all-in on Kuminga. He would have likely gone out of his way to sign him already if that were the case. But it does give Graham some real familiarity with Kuminga as a player, as well as a better idea of how he may fit into the identity the Bulls are trying to build.

There is another possibility we have to consider, however. Fischer's wording here is quite interesting. While he does name the Bulls alongside the two main suitors, the Lakers and Timberwolves, he refers to them as being part of the "process." What might be far more up Graham's alley is to help either the Lakers or the Timberwolves pull off a Kuminga move.

In other words, perhaps the Bulls could take some salary off the books to make adding the former Hawks forward easier. The Bulls could ideally walk away with some draft capital for their assistance. We've talked about them serving as a mediator plenty of times this offseason, and Graham has undoubtedly sounded open to the idea since taking over.

We also can't rule out the possibility that Kuminga's camp is simply trying to stir the pot. The Lakers and Timberwolves are interested, so what better way to raise the price than suddenly throwing a third team into the equation? The Bulls are a perfect decoy team, especially with the Mathurin ties ending.

Would the Bulls Really Go After Jonathan Kuminga?

Mar 27, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) talks with an official during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As interesting as the Bryson Graham connection is, I would be rather shocked if the Chicago Bulls brought in Jonathan Kuminga.

They do have a pretty obvious long-term opening next to Josh Giddey and could benefit from some more on-ball scoring options. But if they didn't push for Bennedict Mathurin, why would they do so for Kuminga?

There is already real competition for Kuminga, thus driving up the price. More importantly, he offers a very similar skill set to Mathurin, one that would feel quite questionable on this current Bulls roster. He is a downhill player who does the majority of his work around the rim and at the free throw line. Kuminga also hasn't been an effective floor-spacer throughout his career, which is something the Bulls need around guys like Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, and Josh Giddey.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that fit shouldn't be the No. 1concern for the front office. They are still very much in asset-accumulation and evaluation mode. If they think Kuminga is worth a closer look and capable of becoming a real piece, they might as well test it out. However, based on everything we have seen from Graham so far, it's very hard to imagine that is his plan.

This is why I'm not putting much stock in the new report. Again, perhaps the Bulls can find a way to help facilitate a deal, but putting Kuminga in a red jersey feels like an unnecessary swing.

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