Jonathan Kuminga is currently a man without a team. That won't last too much longer (though we have been saying that all season) and the odds of him signing his one-year qualifying offer with the Warriors seem to be increasing with each passing day a deal doesn't get done. If that's the conclusion to this saga after all, it might help... the Bulls?
Yes, it's true! I wrote recently about how stockpiling wings might not be a bad idea for this team, and the Bulls apparently think the same, as Jake Fischer of The Stein Line recently confirmed the Bulls are still indeed interested in Jonathan Kuminga, understanding that their best chance to acquire him probably isn't right now — but next summer.
Patience will likely be a virtue here — with Kuminga likely heading back to the Warriors on either a qualifying offer or a two-year deal with a team option in the second year, it's hard to imagine him in a Warriors jersey after this season. If there does end up being a surprise long-term deal like a two-year contract with no options, I still think the Warriors will be looking to flip Kuminga after this season. So, whether he's on the free agent market or under contract with the Warriors next summer, the Bulls might be gearing up to pounce and get themselves another young wing.
Can a team have too many wings?
No! Well, maybe. But the Bulls aren't there yet, even with Buzelis, Essengue, and Okoro to a lesser extent. Plus, adding Kuminga next summer might be the perfect time to do it. Whether he balls out in 2025-26 and demands a larger contract, the Bulls should have the requisite cap room to make that happen. And if he is a little inconsistent this year, and his value around the league drops a bit, the Bulls could take a lower-risk flier on him, perhaps a three-year deal with a team option in that final season.
Everyone seems to have a very strong opinion on Kuminga, and many of those opinions lose sight of the bigger picture: he's a freakishly athletic forward, he's 22 years old, and he has averaged over 15 points per game in two straight seasons on a competitive team in the West. That's a player you want to add to your team if you can. And the Bulls might get their chance to... eventually.