MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves acquired guard Ayo Dosunmu from the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, adding a proven scorer to bolster their depth for the stretch run in the stacked Western Conference playoffs race.
The trade was finalized by the NBA and announced about six hours after the deadline passed on a hectic day around the league. The Timberwolves sent 2024 first-round draft pick Rob Dillingham, deep reserve Leonard Miller and four
second-round draft picks to the busy and rebuilding Bulls for Dosunmu and forward Julian Phillips. The Bulls made seven deals this week.
Dosunmu, who was a second-round pick by his hometown Bulls in the 2021 draft, is making about $7.5 million in the final season of his current contract. The 26-year-old is averaging a career-high 15 points per game and shooting a career-best 45.1% from 3-point range. His role with the Bulls has fluctuated over five seasons, with 164 starts in 324 games, but he will fill an obvious need for the Timberwolves for more offense off the bench.
The Timberwolves, who are 32-20 and entered the day in fifth place in the West, were considered one of the primary suitors for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who wound up staying put. They traded revered veteran Mike Conley to the Bulls in a three-team deal earlier in the week. Conley was then traded with guard Coby White to the Charlotte Hornets for a package including guard Collin Sexton. Conley was waived by the Hornets on Thursday, thus making him eligible to re-sign with the Timberwolves.
Dillingham was the eighth pick out of Kentucky prior to last season, but the 21-year-old was slow to develop and had yet to earn the trust of the coaching staff as a true point guard the team has needed in light of Conley's declining production. Dillingham is averaging 3.5 points, 1.7 assists and 9.3 minutes this season, appearing in 35 games.
The 6-foot-10 Miller, a second-round draft pick in 2023, has appeared in only 49 games for the Timberwolves. The 6-foot-6 Phillips was also taken in the second round of the 2023 draft by the Bulls and played sparingly since.
The Bulls also dealt Nikola Vucevic and Kevin Huerter in earlier trades this week in an effort to shake up a franchise mired in mediocrity, signaling a wholesale rebuilding project.
The Timberwolves beat Toronto on Wednesday and overlapped in the city with the Bulls, who arrived to play there on Thursday, assumedly making the logistics easier for Dosunmu and Phillips to join their new team. The Timberwolves host the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report
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