Timberwolves Swap Rob Dillingham for Ayo Dosunmu in Trade With Bulls

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been searching for backcourt help all season long, and on Thursday they finally found it.

Minnesota sent guard Rob Dillingham, forward Leonard Miller and four second-round picks to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for guard Ayo Dosunmu and forward Julian Phillips, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

The deal gives the Timberwolves a proven two-way contributor as they push toward the playoffs with a 32-20 record, good for fifth in the Western Conference.

For the Bulls, who sit at 24-27 and 10th in the East, the move is another step in a full-scale rebuild that has reshaped the roster over the past week.

Dosunmu, 26, is in the middle of a career year for Chicago and has been one of the best bench players in the NBA this season.

The fourth-year guard is averaging 15.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while shooting an impressive 51.4 percent from the field and 45.1 percent from three-point range, which ranks among the top 10 in the league.

His overall efficiency has made him a hot commodity on the trade market, and the Timberwolves pounced on the opportunity to add him to their rotation.

When Nickeil Alexander-Walker left Minnesota for the Atlanta Hawks in a sign-and-trade last summer, it created a hole in the Timberwolves' rotation that they have been unable to fill.

Alexander-Walker was a key two-way piece off the bench who could score, shoot and defend at a high level.

The hope was that players like Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark and Dillingham could step into that role, but none of them were able to.

Dosunmu checks a lot of the same boxes that Alexander-Walker did. He can guard multiple positions, knock down catch-and-shoot threes and create offense off the dribble.

His ability to drive and collapse defenses gives Minnesota another option alongside Edwards and Julius Randle.

With Mike Conley traded earlier this week and Dillingham now gone, Dosunmu should step right into a primary bench role for Finch's squad.

The trade also closes the book on a disappointing chapter for Dillingham in Minnesota.

The Timberwolves traded up in the 2024 NBA Draft, sending a 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap to San Antonio to select Dillingham with the eighth overall pick out of Kentucky.

He was supposed to be the team's point guard of the future, but the 21-year-old never carved out a consistent role over his two seasons.

This year, Dillingham appeared in 35 games but averaged just 3.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 9.3 minutes per game while shooting 33.3% from the field.

Now he heads to a Bulls team sitting at 24-27 that is in the middle of a full rebuild.

Chicago has been one of the most active teams at the deadline, dealing Coby White, Nikola Vucevic, Kevin Huerter and Dalen Terry in separate trades this week.

Dillingham joins a crowded backcourt that also includes Anfernee Simons, Jaden Ivey and Collin Sexton, but the Bulls will likely give him every opportunity to develop.

Still just 21 with two team options remaining on his rookie deal, Dillingham has time to figure things out in Chicago.

For Minnesota, the addition of Dosunmu strengthens a roster that has made back-to-back trips to the Western Conference Finals.

He will slot in behind DiVincenzo and Edwards and should see significant minutes right away, with his first chance to suit up coming Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Dosunmu is on an expiring contract worth $7.5 million and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, so the Wolves will get a chance to see how he fits before making any long-term decisions.

As for Chicago, the tear-down continues.

The Bulls have stockpiled nine second-round picks in the past week alone, bringing their total to 14 future selections.

The roster now revolves around 21-year-old Matas Buzelis and 23-year-old Josh Giddey, and the front office has shown that the future is what matters most.