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Billy Donovan, Chicago Bulls

As a rebuilding team, the Chicago Bulls will likely head into the 2025 offseason with an open mind. Outside of re-signing Josh Giddey, everything should be on the table.

According to Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report, if the Bulls decide to be ambitious, they should take a big swing at prying Jonathan Kuminga away from the Golden State Warriors.

“Base-year compensation rules make a sign-and-trade involving a restricted free agent like Jonathan Kuminga ambitious,” Hughes wrote. “The logistics—Kuminga counts as his full new salary coming in but only half going out—are prohibitive…At the very least, Kuminga’s elite athleticism, self-creation and free-throw-drawing prowess could balance out some of Giddey’s deficiencies. Since we have to assume the Bulls aren’t going to tear their roster down any time soon, prioritizing players in their early 20s would at least offer some upside in their annual pursuit of 42 wins.”

Kuminga would plug a genuine gap in the Bulls’ forward rotation. He’s young enough and talented enough to become a core part of the franchise’s future, too. However, as Hughes noted, finding a way to make a deal work for everyone involved appears to be a significant hurdle.

Steve Kerr Can’t Guarantee Kuminga a Rotation Spot

In a May 21 appearance on “The TK Show” podcast with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, Warriors head coach admitted that he can’t guarantee Kuminga a significant role in the rotation.

“All I do is I coach the team every year and try to put the puzzle together the best I can,” Kerr said. “I’ve, you know, it’s a tricky one because Jonathan obviously is gifted and wants to play a bigger role and wants to play more. And, I’ve been asked to win. Right now, he’s not a guy who I can say that I’m going to play 38 minutes with the roster that we have…Doesn’t mean he’s not a really good player. Doesn’t mean he’s not talented. It just means the fit. And with the roster that we have, it’s tricky…We can talk about spacing, usage rate, and all that stuff. But the game is about puzzle fitting. It’s about five guys complimenting one another at both ends of the floor. So all I do is, you know, I try to win.”

As such, Kuminga may feel that this summer presents the perfect opportunity for him to leave the Bay Area. Of course, the Bulls would need to construct a compelling sign-and-trade offer. Furthermore, the hard cap at the first luxury tax apron would then limit the Bulls’ ability to continue retooling the roster.

Still, if the front office believes Kuminga is a future star, they should pull out all the stops to bring him to Chicago.

Lakers Could Show Interest in Bulls Guard

Outside of a potential move for Kuminga, it would appear Lonzo Ball will have some suitors this summer. The veteran playmaker signed a two-year $20 million contract extension earlier this year.

In a recent mailbag episode of his “Buha’s Block” podcast, a listener asked The Athletic’s Jovan Buha whether the Los Angeles Lakers could emerge as suitors for Ball.

“I do, I think they would be,” Buha said. “It’s just a matter of what his price is and you have to factor in his health and the history there… you can’t even pencil him in for 60 games.”

Ball has struggled with injuries throughout his tenure with the Bulls. As such, both sides may welcome a fresh start. We will see whether that comes this season or next.
However, the front office would be remiss for not exploring its trade options.

Nevertheless, the primary focus must be on re-signing Giddey. Only then can we start looking at potential trades to reshape the current rotation.

Adam Taylor is a basketball reporter covering the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns for Heavy. He has also written for CelticsBlog, USA Today, Yardbarker and FanSided. Adam has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Open University. More about Adam Taylor