Here's a brief recap of the news and rumors surrounding the Chicago Bulls as the NBA trade deadline approaches, including potential landing spots for Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Tre Jones -- as well as the latest on a Yves Missi acquisition -- with the Feb. 5 deadline only one week away.
Bulls guards remain in high demand
Insider Jake Fischer reported via The Stein Line Substack (subscription required) that White, Dosunmu and Jones are all being discussed with several teams.
White continues to be linked to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who must upgrade their backcourt to make a legitimate push to win the Western Conference.
White is an ideal match next to Anthony Edwards. He could handle point guard duties and allow the Timberwolves' All-NBA guard to go get buckets. If Edwards is running the show himself, White would be a threat as a spot-up shooter or secondary scorer.
And as Fischer notes -- as does Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times -- White is the most likely of the three guards to be moved before the deadline.
Ayo Dosunmu could remain in Chicago beyond this season
While White may be a more talented player than Dosunmu, the latter is arguably a better fit for the Bulls.
White is more skilled offensively, but Dosunmu is one of the NBA's semi-rare 3-and-D guards. The Illinois native is a superior defender and more efficient shooter, knocking down 44.5 percent of his 4.2 3-point attempts per game. Whereas White needs the ball to affect the game, Dosunmu is a low-usage player who can fit into any lineup.
He'll likely also be cheaper to re-sign. While White will be looking for a new contract worth $25-30 million annually, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports that executives around the league believe Dosunmu could come in somewhere around the mid-level exception (about $15 million) or slightly more per year.
Artūras Karnišovas (was) looking to move Nikola Vucevic
Scotto mentioned that Karnišovas, the Bulls' Executive VP of Basketball Operations and ultimate decision-maker in the front office, offered Vucevic to the Boston Celtics in a deal that would've brought guard Anfernee Simons and a first-round pick to Chicago.
Boston declined, but it was an unusually shrewd proposal from the Bulls. The Celtics, at least previously, were looking to shed salary to duck under the luxury tax this season. Swapping Simons' $27.7 million expiring contract for Vucevic's $21.5 million expiring contract would've helped, and Chicago was aiming to land a first-round pick for its troubles.
If nothing else, it's a sign that Karnišovas is finally attempting to pave a logical path for the franchise.
Bulls still linked with Pelicans center Yves Missi
In another welcome piece of news, Chicago seems to still be in the running to acquire Missi from New Orleans ahead of the deadline.
The 21-year-old is a promising center prospect with size and athleticism who could reasonably fit alongside Josh Giddey as a rim-running shot blocker. He would be a significant upgrade over Vucevic and someone who could grow with the rest of the Bulls' young roster.
According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Pelicans may have to settle for a pair of second-round picks if they want to part with Missi before Feb. 5.
Fischer reports that New Orleans is holding out for a first-round selection in this summer's draft, which is something Karnišovas can afford -- though he may not have to if he gets creative enough.