Bulls More Likely To Trade White Than Dosunmu
Bulls guards Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Tre Jones have all drawn interest from potential trade partners leading up to next Thursday’s deadline, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). However, one of those players appears more likely to be dealt than the others.
Fischer identifies White as the Bulls guard who is the best bet to be on the move in the next eight days, while Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times agrees that White is the player the team is discussing most frequently. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints confirms that there are indications Chicago would prefer to keep and extend Dosunmu rather than White.
As Fischer outlines, both White and Dosunmu will be eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer, but White – who previously passed on negotiating an extension that would’ve maxed out at about $87MM over four years – is expected to be seeking the larger payday of the two.
While the Bulls – with a relatively clean cap sheet and White’s Bird rights in hand – could accommodate a deal that exceeds $87MM over four years, it’s getting more difficult to envision them going too high for White after signing Josh Giddey to a four-year, $100MM contract last summer, Fischer writes. As Fischer explains, Dosunmu has proven capable of being a more complementary backcourt piece alongside Giddey, whereas White is at his best when he has the ball in his hands more frequently.
That makes Dosunmu a better fit going forward, and it helps that he’s a Chicago native, which the franchise has historically valued. Fischer also hears from sources that Dosunmu has “found good alignment” with the Bulls’ coaching staff.
As for which teams are in the mix for White, Fischer says the Timberwolves continue to be mentioned as a suitor. The Wolves are in need of a backcourt upgrade and their head of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, worked with Bulls executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas in Denver.
However, Minnesota would have some reservations about giving up much of value for White if there’s a good chance he might just be a rest-of-season rental, Fischer writes. With over $194MM in guaranteed money on their books for next season, the Wolves aren’t currently in a great position to sign White to a lucrative new contract in the offseason.
Fischer also hears that the Wolves aren’t necessarily eager to move on from respected veteran point guard Mike Conley, despite the fact that his expiring $10.8MM looks like an obvious salary-matching piece in a move for a player like White ($12.9MM). Minnesota appears more willing to deal 2024 lottery pick Rob Dillingham, Fischer adds.
Besides Minnesota, the Rockets are also in the mix for White, according to both Cowley and Siegel. Cowley suggests players like Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason have been “floated in some capacity.”
It certainly makes sense that Chicago would inquire on those youngsters, but I’m skeptical Houston would be willing to include either one in an offer for White, given his contract situation. Sheppard has emerged as a quality rotation player in his second NBA season, while one recent report suggested Eason is considered off limits in trade talks.
Siegel identifies the Clippers as another team with interest in White, though both he and Cowley suggest there are more teams beyond those three in play for the Bulls guard.
Kings Rumors: Ellis, Poeltl, Kuminga, DeRozan, LaVine
A “ton” of teams have called the Kings to inquire about Keon Ellis, according to James Ham of Locked On Kings (YouTube link), who identifies the Timberwolves, Pacers, Celtics, and Knicks as a few of the clubs his sources suggest are worth monitoring as suitors for the fourth-year guard.
“From what I have heard, (they) have all called on Keon Ellis,” Ham said.
Ellis is an intriguing trade candidate because his $2.3MM expiring contract makes him an attainable piece for just about any NBA team, including clubs like Minnesota, Boston, and New York, who are operating above the first tax apron. If he’s dealt, Ellis’ Bird rights would travel with him and he’d become extension-eligible on February 9, just a few days after the trade deadline.
One weekend report suggested Ellis is among the players most likely to be moved at the deadline, with the Kings said to be seeking a late first-round pick.
Here’s more on the Kings:
- Discussing the possibility of the Raptors making a play for center Domantas Sabonis, Ham said the Kings have “zero interest” in acquiring big man Jakob Poeltl, who has battled back issues this season and is under contract through 2029/30 (YouTube link). “‘We’re not getting into the Jakob Poeltl business’ is what I was told,” Ham said, though he observed that the same source didn’t say anything about the Kings not getting into the “RJ Barrett business.” Barrett was drafted by the Knicks when current Kings general manager Scott Perry was in New York’s front office.
- Responding to speculation that the Raptors would seek Ellis along with Sabonis in a trade with the Kings, Ham says a source told him “unequivocally” that Toronto and Sacramento haven’t discussed Ellis to this point.
- The Kings are no longer willing to include any draft picks in a trade offer Jonathan Kuminga, but they remain interested in the Warriors forward, Ham confirms (YouTube link). “I do know for a fact that the Sacramento Kings have offered, in the past, DeMar DeRozan straight up for Jonathan Kuminga,” Ham said. Golden State would need to include one more player in that hypothetical deal in order to stay below its hard cap, but it doesn’t sound like the Warriors have real interest in DeRozan anyway.
- Zach LaVine would “absolutely love to move on from Sacramento,” according to Ham (YouTube link), though his maximum-salary contract will be a major impediment. Ham suggests there was a “ray of hope” about a potential deal with the Bucks involving Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis, but that outcome seems less likely as a result of Milwaukee’s recent struggles and Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s latest calf strain.
Injury Notes: Curry, Edwards, Avdija, LaVine, Monk
Warriors star Stephen Curry scored 26 points in 28 minutes during Sunday’s blowout win at Minnesota and was cautiously optimistic after the game about suiting up for Monday’s rematch with the Wolves (Twitter video link via Warriors on NBCS). However, he played through some pain in his right knee, tweets ESPN’s Anthony Slater, and was ultimately ruled out for the second end of a back-to-back.
Steve Kerr said Curry’s knee injury isn’t serious, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic (Twitter link), and Golden State’s head coach is hopeful the 37-year-old guard will be active for Wednesday’s contest in Utah.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Star guard Anthony Edwards was downgraded to questionable and then out for Monday’s eventual win over Golden State due to right foot injury management, the Timberwolves announced (via Twitter). According to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link), Edwards went through a pregame warmup and was ruled out shortly thereafter. “It was news to me, honestly,” head coach Chris Finch said after the game (Twitter link via Hine). “He had pain from the foot that’s been troubling him.” When asked if Edwards would be available for both ends of Minnesota’s back-to-back later this week, Finch said he wasn’t sure, Hine adds (via Twitter).
- Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija missed Monday’s loss to Boston, his second straight absence, but he’s expected to return to action on Tuesday at Washington, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. Avdija aggravated a back injury last week and interim head coach Tiago Splitter explained the team gave him an extra day of rest on Monday as a precaution.
- Kings guards Zach LaVine (lower back soreness) and Malik Monk (right ankle soreness) are questionable for Tuesday’s contest vs. New York, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). LaVine was out for Sunday’s loss in Detroit due to the back issue, while Monk played 22 minutes, scoring 19 points in the process.
Saturday’s Wolves-Warriors Game Postponed Until Sunday
Saturday’s game between the Timberwolves and Warriors in Minneapolis has been postponed and rescheduled for Sunday at 4:30 pm CT, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
The decision to postpone the game was made to “prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community,” per the league. The two teams will now have a back-to-back, as they’re also slated to play on Monday.
The news comes in the wake of a man being fatally shot by federal agents in the city on Saturday.
Siegel’s Latest: MPJ, Warriors, Murphy, Giannis, Wolves, Magic
The Warriors had internal discussions about the possibility of pursuing Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. but received indications that the asking price would be higher than they’re comfortable with, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. The Lakers also aren’t expected to pursue Porter, Siegel writes, since they’re not looking to take on that sort of a big-money contract at this time (Porter is owed $40.8MM in 2026/27).
The Nets have conveyed to potential trade partners that they’re comfortable keeping Porter beyond this season, per Siegel, so if their asking price isn’t met, there’s a good chance he’ll remain in Brooklyn through the trade deadline.
While a Porter deal doesn’t seem likely, Siegel says the Warriors remain on the lookout for wings and have been linked to veterans like DeMar DeRozan of the Kings and old friend Andrew Wiggins, who was sent to the Heat in last season’s Jimmy Butler trade. It remains to be seen whether Miami will look to move Wiggins, but there’s still “a lot of mutual love” between the former No. 1 overall pick and the Warriors, who won a title together in 2022, Siegel notes.
Of course, the Warriors’ interest in Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III has been an open secret for months, and they’ve made him multiple calls about him this season, sources tell ClutchPoints.
Rivals believe New Orleans’ asking price for Murphy would be multiple first-round picks and a young player or two, says Siegel, but it’s unclear if the Pelicans would move him even if that price is met — they’ve reportedly told teams they don’t intend to. The Raptors are another team that has inquired on Murphy, Siegel reports.
Here are a few more highlights from Siegel’s latest league-wide rumor roundup:
- Although Giannis Antetokounmpo has said on the record that he has no intention of ever asking the Bucks to trade him, many people around the NBA still believe it’s only a matter of time until the two sides split, Siegel writes. There’s a sense it could happen in the offseason, which is one reason why several clubs want to hang onto their top trade assets. “It really seems like he’s made up his mind already,” an Eastern Conference executive told ClutchPoints. “But this is Giannis we are talking about, and he’s very careful with the words he picks when talking to the media because he doesn’t want to be painted as the villain in Milwaukee. And if we are being honest, he shouldn’t be, no matter if he requests a trade or not. He may not have directly requested a trade, but everyone knows what’s going on there. It’s basically just who will break the silence and actually say it is time to move on. Giannis doesn’t want to be that guy, and that’s understandable.”
- The Timberwolves are widely expected to address their backcourt in a deadline deal, with Magic guard Tyus Jones, Kings guard Malik Monk, and Hornets guard Collin Sexton among the players they’ve been connected to, per Siegel. Charlotte has conveyed that it would want at least one asset of value (ie. a draft pick or young player) in a Sexton deal, Siegel adds.
- There’s a belief that the Magic are open to moving Jones, forward Jonathan Isaac, and/or center Goga Bitadze, according to Siegel, who suggests Orlando could acquire second-round capital and 2026/27 cap relief in a deal involving Bitadze. The Magic are operating about $5.6MM above the luxury tax line, so they could look to duck the tax altogether by trading one or more of those players, whose salaries range from $7MM (for Jones) to $15MM (for Isaac).
And-Ones: Bediako, All-Stars, Rookies, Team-Friendly Deals
Charles Bediako‘s bid to rejoin Alabama’s men’s basketball team more than two years after he was on a two-way contract with an NBA team could have major ramifications, according to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, who notes that NBA clubs will likely be keeping a close eye on the case.
As we outlined on Wednesday, Bediako is suing the NCAA in an attempt to rejoin the Crimson Tide for the rest of the 2025/26 season after spending two years with Alabama from 2021-23. Since going undrafted in 2023, the big man has signed three Exhibit 10 contracts with NBA teams, including one that the Spurs converted into a two-way deal in the fall of ’23.
Bediako has been granted a temporary restraining order, allowing him to participate in activities and games for Alabama while he awaits a hearing on a preliminary injunction.
If Bediako ultimately prevails in his bid for NCAA eligibility, it may necessitate adjustments to the NBA’s draft eligibility rules, Vecenie notes, since there would be nothing stopping players from declaring for the draft after their freshman seasons, then returning to college as NBA free agents if they go undrafted. In that scenario, a player who has a breakout sophomore year could theoretically leave his college program to sign with an NBA team halfway through a season.
Vecenie suggests that the NBA might have to create a new rule stating that an undrafted player who returns to college would reenter the draft pool for the following year. He also wonders if the changing nature of NCAA eligibility rules could result in NBA teams essentially treating college programs like a form of minor leagues — for instance, could the Lakers draft a player and then have him play at a nearby school like UCLA or USC for developmental purposes before he signs an NBA contract?
We have more from around the basketball world:
- A panel of NBA reporters and analysts from ESPN considered whether there are any obvious snubs among this season’s All-Star starters and explored which players deserve to be selected as reserves, while a group of reporters at The Athletic conducted a similar exercise. The general consensus was that there were no egregious mistakes among the first 10 All-Star choices, though Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell would have been worthy starters.
- Arguing that Kon Knueppel has been underappreciated so far this season, ESPN’s Zach Kram places the Hornets wing atop his latest rookie rankings, ahead of Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg at No. 2. Wizards guard Tre Johnson (eighth) and Nets guard Egor Demin (10th) are new additions to Kram’s top 10 since his previous update.
- Which contracts are the NBA’s most team-friendly? Ruling out maximum-salary deals and rookie deals for recently drafted players, Keith Smith of Spotrac shares his top-25 list, headlined by Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson.
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN has handed out midseason grades for all 30 NBA teams, with four clubs earning an A: the Celtics, Pistons, Suns, and Spurs.
Northwest Notes: Valanciunas, Wolves, Markkanen, Thunder
The Nuggets have been without their top two centers since the calendar turned to 2026, but they appear on the verge of getting one of them back on the floor. According to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link), Jonas Valanciunas has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s matchup with Washington.
After star center Nikola Jokic suffered a knee injury on December 29, Valanciunas stepped into Denver’s starting lineup for a Dec. 31 contest in Toronto but was unable to finish that game due to a right calf strain. Although the Nuggets officially announced a day later that Valanciunas would be reevaluated in four weeks, it seems he has a good chance to beat that projected timeline. If he doesn’t play on Thursday in Washington, the Lithuanian’s next chance to suit up would be the following night in Milwaukee.
Jokic was said last week to be making good progress in his recovery from a bone bruise in his left knee, but remains out for now. Nuggets head coach David Adelman indicated on Tuesday that Valanciunas was on track to return before Jokic.
- While he acknowledges that the Timberwolves could also use another point guard and some additional rim protection, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic believes the team’s most glaring need is a bench scorer. As Krawczynski explains, big man Naz Reid has had to carry the scoring load for the second unit for much of the season due to the inconsistent play of the team’s reserve guards and wings.
- Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen will be inactive for a sixth game in a row on Thursday vs. San Antonio, but his injury designation has been changed from an illness to “return to competition reconditioning,” notes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). That update suggests Markkanen is close to returning.
- After a 6-6 stretch in December and early January, the Thunder are on a roll again, with seven wins in their past eight games. Still, the 37-8 club is dealing with no shortage of health issues. After losing Jalen Williams to a hamstring strain over the weekend, Oklahoma City had guard Alex Caruso (right adductor strain), big man Jaylin Williams (left glute contusion), and Aaron Wiggins (right groin soreness) inactive on Wednesday, and guard Ajay Mitchell exited early due to a right hip contusion. There has been no indication that any of the injuries are significant — notably, Jaylin Williams was initially listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game, while Wiggins was a late addition to the injury report.
Injury Notes: Giddey, Reid, H. Jones, Whitmore
Bulls guard Josh Giddey was upgraded to questionable ahead of Tuesday’s contest against the Clippers before being ruled out (Twitter links via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network). Giddey, who is working his way back from a strained left hamstring, could return to action on Thursday in Minnesota, head coach Billy Donovan said.
Forward Patrick Williams is dealing with a right ankle sprain and will also be out Tuesday. He’s considered day-to-day, per Johnson.
Here are some more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Timberwolves big man Naz Reid was forced to exit Saturday’s loss at San Antonio after just five minutes due to soreness in his left shoulder. However, the injury doesn’t appear to be serious — he was initially questionable for Tuesday’s game in Utah but has been upgraded to available, per the league’s injury report.
- Defensive stalwart Herbert Jones has been upgraded to questionable ahead of Wednesday’s game vs. Detroit, the Pelicans announced in a press release. Jones, who has popped up in several rumors this season but has reportedly been made unavailable in trade talks, has missed 14 of New Orleans’ last 15 games with a right ankle sprain.
- While Wizards forward Cam Whitmore will miss the remainder of the 2025/26 season due to a blood clot in his right shoulder, he joined the team on the bench during Monday’s loss to the Clippers, which is a good sign for his long-term health, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The former first-round pick will be eligible for an extension in the offseason and will make $5.46MM in ’26/27, which is the final season of his rookie scale contract.
Eastern Notes: Thomas, Bulls, Tatum, Bucks
All signs point to Cam Thomas‘ days in Brooklyn being numbered, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required), who says most league observers he spoke to about the subject expect Thomas and the Nets to go their separate ways either at the trade deadline or in the offseason.
While a midseason trade remains possible, Thomas owns a de facto no-trade clause after accepting his one-year, $6MM qualifying offer as a restricted free agent in 2025, so he would have to sign off on any deal involving him. The 24-year-old’s value is also at a low point, Lewis notes, given that he has spent much of the past season-and-a-half battling hamstring issues and is shooting a career-worst 40.5% from the field this season.
Whether or not Thomas is traded by February 5, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season, and he’ll have new representation at that time. After hiring agent Alex Saratsis of Octagon in 2024, Thomas has moved on from Saratsis and signed with Thad Foucher of Wasserman, Lewis confirms.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the Eastern Conference:
- Checking in on the Bulls‘ trade options ahead of the deadline, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times confirms that the team has talked to the Pelicans about second-year center Yves Missi and says the Timberwolves have inquired on guards Ayo Dosunmu and Tre Jones in addition to Coby White. It could be tricky for the Bulls to make a deal for Missi since they’re not looking to part with draft assets, Cowley writes.
- The Celtics have defied expectations by remaining a legitimate contender this season even without All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required). The team has a posted a 26-16 record so far, and while there’s still no formal timeline for Tatum’s return from an Achilles tear, he continues to shown signs of progress — on Monday, he went through a one-hour workout with media in attendance, per Jay King of The Athletic. Head coach Joe Mazzulla deferred to the Celtics’ medical and sports science staff on Tatum, but said it was “interesting” that the 27-year-old did Monday’s on-court drills in front of reporters after having done most of his rehab work behind closed doors.
- The Bucks snapped a three-game losing streak on Monday in Atlanta after head coach Doc Rivers replaced guard Kevin Porter Jr. with forward Kyle Kuzma in his starting five. The results were mixed – the new lineup was outscored by one point during its 20 minutes on the court – and Rivers admitted he’s not sure if he’ll stick with it, but he explained why he wanted to try a different look. “Just size. We thought putting size in the lineup would be great,” Rivers said, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “And when you do that, you have to separate the guards. And I mean, our second unit was all plus tonight, so I thought it went really well for us. Pete Nance was phenomenal.”
Antetokounmpo, Curry Head List Of All-Star Starters
The NBA’s 2026 All-Star starters have been set, the league announced today (Twitter links). Here are the 10 players who earned those spots:
Eastern Conference
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
- Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
- Cade Cunningham (Pistons)
- Tyrese Maxey (Sixers)
Western Conference
- Stephen Curry (Warriors)
- Luka Doncic (Lakers)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
This season’s All-Star Game will have a U.S. vs. World format. The round-robin event is scheduled to be played Sunday, Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. ET at the Clippers’ Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. Two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players (the World team) will compete in a tournament featuring four 12-minute games. The three teams will each have a minimum of eight players.
How the teams will be divvied up is yet to be determined.
Two-time MVP Antetokounmpo has been selected as a starter for the 10th consecutive season. 2024 Finals MVP Brown will be making his fifth All-Star appearance, while Brunson will be making his third consecutive appearance.
This marks Cunningham’s second NBA All-Star selection and first as a starter. Cunningham is the first Pistons player to be named an Eastern Conference starter in the All-Star Game since Allen Iverson in 2009. It will also be Maxey’s second All-Star appearance and first as a starter.
This will be Curry’s 12th All-Star Game and 11th as a starter. Doncic will be making his sixth All-Star appearance.
This marks the fourth career All-Star appearance for reigning NBA MVP and Finals MVP Gilgeous-Alexander and his third consecutive season as an All-Star starter. Three-time MVP Jokic has been named an All-Star for the eighth consecutive year. Wembanyama is the first Spurs player to be named an All-Star starter since Kawhi Leonard in 2017.
Fans accounted for 50% of the vote to determine the starters, while players and media accounted for 25% each. Wembanyama won a tiebreaker with the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards for a starting spot. The full voting results can be found through this NBA.com link.