TORONTO — Ayo Dosunmu will play for a basketball team outside of his home state for the first time in his career.
The Chicago Bulls traded the guard to the Timberwolves on Thursday a few hours before the trade deadline, sending Dosunmu and forward Julian Phillips to Minnesota for guard Rob Dillingham, small forward Leonard Miller and four second-round picks.
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The Bulls have added nine second-round picks with their trades ahead of the deadline. They now own a total of 14.
The Athletic first reported the move.
Dosunmu always has been a hometown kid. After starring for Morgan Park in high school, he spent three years as an anchor for Illinois, leading the Illini to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in his junior season. He returned home to Chicago as a second-round draft pick in 2021 when the Bulls selected him at No. 38.
After several years of gradual development amid shifting roles and a major shoulder injury, Dosunmu cemented himself as an elite two-way player this season. He ranks 8th in the NBA in 3-point shooting this season at 45.1% while taking a career-high 4.3 attempts per game.
His defensive acumen and improved on-ball decision-making created a complete package that drew noticeable attention from deadline buyers looking to make a push for the 2026 playoffs.
The Bulls were open to extending Dosunmu this summer to retain a valuable piece of their youth development plan on an affordable contract. But at 26, Dosunmu already had begun to age out of the team’s current development timeline, which is focused around 21-year-old Matas Buzelis and 23-year-old Josh Giddey.
Ultimately, the Bulls chose to cash in on the trade value Dosunmu offered as a long-range sniper who can pick up some of the toughest defensive assignments in the league.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/05/chicago-bulls-trade-ayo-dosunmu/
