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When I was around 9 years old, my family took a trip to New York City.
We checked most of the touristy boxes, which obviously included plenty of time strolling around Times Square. The M&M Store has been a staple of the brightly lit cityscape for quite some time, and we naturally found ourselves in there as a party with three young children. As we basked in the shocking amount of memorabilia, I ended up gravitating to the stuffed-animal versions of each M&M character. Noticing my face light up, my dad told me to pick one out.
The drama that ensued is still a popular topic at family dinners. I was one of the most indecisive children imaginable, which made selecting an overpriced giant M&M character among the most painstaking things I had ever done. And it sure didn’t help that the pressure to go about our day built by the minute. I promise this will tie back to the Chicago Bulls!
As I held both the iconic red and yellow M&Ms in my hands, I was nearly brought to tears with the stress. How could one choose? Both were great options. Both could bring long-term joy. Both made sense for a 9-year-old’s bedroom! While I ended up going with the yellow one, my stomach ached for hours afterward. Did I make the right choice?
As ridiculous as this memory is, I have thought about it often in the wake of the 2026 NBA trade deadline. The Chicago Bulls could very well be on the verge of finding themselves in my quesy 9-year-old shoes, as they currently weigh the complicated choice between a future with Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu.
Latest Updates on Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu
Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu are each on expiring contracts and have been mainstays in rumors over the last handful of weeks. Already paying Josh Giddey to be one of their lead guards of the future, the Bulls would have little reason to justify keeping both guards past this deadline. Not only would trying to pay all three be a head-scratching move for a franchise stuck in mediocrity, but it would run them the risk of losing one of the players for nothing in return.
Nevertheless, both have been very productive players for the franchise in recent years despite the overarching results. White has improved tremendously as a ball-handler and decision-maker – all while showing the ability to be a highly productive three-level scorer. Meanwhile, Dosunmu has filled whatever role is asked of him flawlessly, and he is currently posting career-high numbers across the board as the team’s sixth man.
So … what is a lead executive to do? K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network tried to answer that question on 104.3 The Score’s Mully & Haugh Show.
“There is no saying they couldn’t re-sign both because they could. That said, the sense I’ve gotten is that they have been a little bit more open to the Coby market. But I can also tell you that, unequivocally, the people I talked to around the league, there is definitely more of a market currently for Ayo Dosunmu than there is for Coby White … My sense is, if they do make a trade, they will take the best one between their offers for either player, and I do think it will come down to one or the other. Which one that is, I can’t tell you,” Johnson said on Monday.
In other words, the Bulls have yet to make up their mind, and this could mean the market makes it for them. If that is the case, Johnson may have given us an idea of which direction the front office will ultimately go, as he noted Dosunmu’s emergence as the more valuable trade chip.
The 26-year-old has only garnered more attention in recent weeks. He has averaged nearly 17.0 points a night on an incredible 54.5 percent from the field and 48.8 percent shooting from downtown since January 1. More of a two-way contributor and also expected to demand less than White in free agency, teams have appeared increasingly interested in getting their hands on Dosunmu. For what it’s worth, ESPN also reported that rival executives saw him as the Bulls’ most appealing trade target just last week.
Of course, Dosunmu’s breakout is just as much a reason for the Bulls to consider keeping him. But if the offers are far superior to the ones coming across their desk for White, could they really afford to turn them down? Johnson doesn’t seem to think so.
It also feels worth noting that Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic reported that the Bulls have struggled to have their asking price met for White. The team has wanted a first-round pick for the combo guard’s services, but teams have been hesitant. While this could certainly change over the next handful of days, White’s looming free agency and payday were always going to work against the Bulls.
As for Dosunmu, all we continue to hear is that teams have him on their radar, which means a bidding war could soon commence. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post coined the New York Knicks as one suitor to watch on Sunday. And he also noted that the price was expected to be steep. By the way, if Dosunmu ends up in New York, I wish him better luck at the M&M store.
To be clear, a lot can and will change over the next handful of days. We also can’t rule out a scenario where both players end up elsewhere. Nevertheless, if the latest information tells us anything, it’s that the Bulls may be wise to make Dosunmu their priority in trade talks moving forward. The decision could very well prove to be a painful one, but if my nine-year-old self could muster the strength to make a choice, the Bulls can too.