Which of 3 Bulls Guards is the Best Trade Fit for the Timberwolves?

On Thursday night, the Timberwolves will get an up-close look at three players who make a lot of sense as targets for their front office prior to the February 5 trade deadline. The Chicago Bulls are in town, and with them come three guards — Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Tre Jones — who each have a skill set that could benefit Minnesota down the stretch of this season.

This isn't pure speculation, either. Previous reporting from a Chicago insider has connected the Wolves to all three players, and the perennially play-in-bound Bulls may be open to trading them away. With Tim Connelly widely expected to make some sort of move to upgrade the Timberwolves' backcourt, the Bulls options are exactly the kind of pieces that would fit.

But which of the three makes the most sense? Let's take a look at the case for each one.

Coby White

Age: 26 next month
Contract: $12.9 million rental (UFA this summer)
Season stats: 18.5 PPG, 4.6 APG, 46/36/78 splits

The Wolves' previous regime should've drafted White at No. 6 overall in 2019 (they took Jarrett Culver and White went seventh to Chicago). Then again, maybe they wouldn't have ended up with Anthony Edwards if that happened. White is the most explosive scorer of this group, having averaged at least 18.5 points per game in three straight seasons, including 20.4 last season. He's also, not coincidentally, on the largest contract of the three.

White is having a slightly down year when it comes to three-point shooting and turnovers, but he is shooting better on two-pointers than ever before. He's a career 37 percent shooter from long range who can get hot in a hurry. Look no further than his last two games, in which he's made 13 of 21 from deep. He's also an elite free throw shooter and secondary playmaker as a combo guard.

The tricky thing about trading for White is making the money work. The Timberwolves can't take back more salary than they send out, so they'd have to come up with $12.9 million to send to the Bulls. That means a deal centered around Rob Dillingham's $6.5 million doesn't really work, as they'd need to add three more $2.2M minimum salaries to get there. Mike Conley's $10.7 expiring contract could be used as filler, but what would the Wolves be parting with that Chicago actually wants? Terrence Shannon Jr. and second-rounders? Minnesota doesn't currently have any tradable first-rounders. It's hard to find a way for this one to work, but it can't be ruled out.

Ayo Dosunmu

Age: 26
Contract: $7.5 million rental (UFA this summer)
Season stats: 14.6 PPG, 3.6 APG, 52/46/86 splits

Dosunmu, who was a second-round pick in 2021, is having the best year of his career so far. He's upped his scoring slightly and has been more efficient than ever, largely because he's hitting 46 percent of his threes on over four attempts a night. Among players who have taken at least 100 threes this season, only Luke Kennard and Bobby Portis are shooting a higher percentage.

Dosunmu can do some playmaking, but he's more of a true shooting guard than a point guard. He's also a solid defender at 6'4". Really, he's having a heck of a season off the bench while making only $7.5 million in the final year of his contract. The Bulls may want to get something for Dosunmu instead of losing him for nothing in free agency, but can the Wolves make a competitive offer? It probably starts with Dillingham, Shannon, and at least one second-round pick, even with Dosunmu being a rental.

Tre Jones

Age: 26
Contract: $8 million/year for three years (final year is a club option, UFA in 2028)
Season stats: 12.4 PPG, 5.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 55/32/85 splits

Jones would be a fun story since he's a Minnesota native. The two-time MN Gatorade Player of the Year at Apple Valley was a second-round pick by the Spurs in 2020, then landed in Chicago at last year's trade deadline. He just signed an extension with the Bulls last summer. The fact that he's under contract for two more years after this one might make the Bulls less inclined to move him, but it's not out of the question by any means.

Compared to White and Dosunmu, Jones is more of a true point guard. He averaged over 6 assists per game for the Spurs multiple times and, much like his brother Tyus, he doesn't turn the ball over often. The primary flaw with Jones' game is that he's a career 31 percent three-point shooter who takes less than two of them per night. He brings plenty of playmaking and shoots it well from inside the arc, but he's not much of a threat from deep. He's also a bit smaller at 6'1", although he has good hands on the defensive end.

So...who fits best?

This one is actually pretty easy. White is probably the best player, but his contract is tricky. Jones would make sense if the Wolves wanted a true point guard, but I'm not sure that's as much of a need as some might think. Anthony Edwards handles the ball quite a bit, as do Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, and Bones Hyland is already a point guard option off the bench. Jones not being much of a three-point shooter also complicates his value.

To me, the answer is clearly Dosunmu. He's having a highly underrated season as one of the best bench guards in the league. He'd bring the Wolves quite a bit of scoring and shooting punch while also being a competent defender. If Connelly can make a deal work, Dosunmu could be the piece that helps the Wolves get over the hump in the West this year.

Coby White

Ayo Dosunmu

Tre Jones

So...who fits best?

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