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A Josh Giddey trade to Minnesota could pay dividends to the Chicago Bulls

The offseason rumor mill has Josh Giddey in the sights of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
ByMorris Bankston|
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Apr 3, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) warms up prior to the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Apr 3, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) warms up prior to the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Former Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu made a strong impact on the Minnesota Timberwolves as a well-timed 2026 NBA trade deadline acquisition that allowed Dosunmu to shine bright in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.  

The Timberwolves are motivated to re-sign Dosunmu, a 2026 unrestricted free agent.  However, reports emerged on Friday that another Bulls guard has fans inside the Timberwolves front office, Josh Giddey.

Darren Wolfson of ABC affiliate KSTP television in St. Paul, Minnesota, shared a report via social media that the Timberwolves are interested in acquiring the Bulls guard, although there are no formal public reports of contact between the Bulls and Timberwolves to discuss Giddey’s availability for trades.

The premise of the Timberwolves' interest in Giddey is understandable, as the franchise has risen to an elite title-contender status in the NBA’s Western Conference over the last three NBA seasons, in which two of those seasons ended in the Western Conference Finals. 

The Timberwolves’ roster principally revolves around their prime superstar, guard Anthony Edwards, and perennial NBA defensive player of the year candidate, center Rudy Gobert.

The Timberwolves are a small-market team that has to make the most of every transaction cycle to maximize their title-contention window, and it would be an interesting roster experiment to see if an improved shooting Josh Giddey could be the missing puzzle piece to an NBA championship in Minnesota.

What should a trade return from the Timberwolves look like for the Bulls?

Given the Bulls are at the starting line of a rebuild, flushed with cap space and no expectations of winning for the foreseeable future, the franchise is in an optimal position to be a trade partner to the Timberwolves while extracting maximum trade value from Josh Giddey.

A Josh Giddey trade by the Bulls should return value that impacts the franchise today and value that will pay dividends in the future.  The Bulls should seriously consider trading Josh Giddey in the following deal framework:

Bulls receive:

  • Julius Randle
  • Terrence Shannon Jr.
  • Minnesota's unprotected 2033 first-round draft pick

Timberwolves receive:

  • Josh Giddey
  • Tre Jones

The Bulls would receive two seasons of Terrence Shannon Jr. on a rookie-scale contract to evaluate for long-term roster fit potential, a surplus future unprotected first-round draft pick for the cost of paying two seasons of Julius Randle's salary.

Randle is due $33.3 million for the 2026-27 NBA season and $35.8 million for his final player option contract year during the 2027-28 season. 

Randle's salary would have a negligible impact on a rebuilding Bulls team with cap space, and the impact of his salary could also be offset if the Bulls can flip Randle as an expiring contract that returns second-round draft capital.

It's not a priority for the Bulls to trade Giddey during the 2026 NBA offseason, but if they can acquire a future first-round pick and a cheap young player with upside, they should strongly consider that sort of deal.

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