After a long four-day pause, the Chicago Bulls are finally back in action tonight in Charlotte, facing a Hornets team that looks beatable on paper — but nothing has come easy for this group lately. The question hanging over the night isn’t just whether the Bulls can snap their losing skid. It’s whether this game marks a turning point, or merely another chapter in a season drifting dangerously off course.
Even head coach Billy Donovan has acknowledged the uncomfortable truth: the Bulls are not much different from the struggling teams they’ve been losing to. That honesty underscores the urgency surrounding this matchup. The break from game action was supposed to provide a mental reset. Now, Chicago must prove it actually worked.
There is some cautious optimism on the injury front. While Ayo Dosunmu (thumb) and Kevin Huerter (thigh) remain out, the Bulls are expected to have one of their deeper rotations in weeks. Coby White, Isaac Okoro, Zach Collins, Tre Jones, and Jalen Smith are all slated to play. It’s not a clean bill of health, but compared to recent lineups, it’s a step forward — and one that raises expectations for immediate results.
Yet even as the Bulls prepare to tip off, the real noise is coming from off the court.
Trade rumors are no longer whispers. They’re getting louder — and more unsettling.
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the Minnesota Timberwolves have targeted Coby White, expressing interest in making a move sooner rather than closer to the trade deadline. According to the report, Minnesota would consider a package centered around Donte DiVincenzo, Terrence Shannon Jr., and a future draft pick.
When Cowley speaks, the league listens.
On the surface, the offer has logic. DiVincenzo is a proven rotation player who can shoot and defend. Shannon Jr. is a talented 25-year-old prospect who may simply need a clearer path to minutes. For a front office led by Artūras Karnišovas, that type of “re-tool now” move would feel painfully familiar.
But here’s the problem: it does nothing to truly move the Bulls forward.
Coby White is one of the most valuable assets Chicago has — not just because of his production, but because of his contract. He’s in the final year of a $12 million deal and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. That combination of value and flexibility should command real draft capital. Minnesota, however, doesn’t have a tradable first-round pick until 2033. That reality alone makes the proposed return feel alarmingly underwhelming.
Trading White for a rotation player, a developmental project, and distant or limited draft value would be a gut punch to a fan base desperate for a clear direction. And yet, it would also be completely on brand.
If that wasn’t enough, another rumor surfaced that sent Bulls fans spiraling.
NBA insider Marc Stein linked Chicago — once again — to Jonathan Kuminga.
The Warriors’ former lottery pick has flashed star potential but struggled to secure a consistent role in Golden State’s rotation. His development has stagnated, and after signing a two-year, $47 million deal earlier this summer, his future remains uncertain. Taking a flyer on Kuminga isn’t inherently wrong. The danger lies in how the Bulls might do it.
If Kuminga becomes part of a deal involving Coby White without significant first-round draft compensation coming back to Chicago, it would signal another half-measure — a swing without a real plan.
Stein also added another familiar wrinkle: the Sacramento Kings are reportedly exploring ways to move both DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. Their reunion hasn’t worked, and for Bulls fans, it’s yet another reminder of how tangled this franchise’s recent history has become.
So as Chicago steps onto the floor in Charlotte tonight, the stakes feel heavier than a single win or loss. This team is fighting two battles at once — one against the Hornets, and another against an uncertain future.
The Bulls need answers. Quickly.
Because if the losing continues, the trade rumors won’t just grow louder — they’ll become inevitable.
Leave a Reply