This post was originally published on this site.
Minnesota Timberwolves fans may be hoping for a big trade ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Thursday afternoon, but the club has made another move.
On Thursday morning, the Wolves sent guard Rob Dillingham, forward Leonard Miller and four second-round draft picks to the Chicago Bulls for guard Ayo Dosunmu and forward Julian Phillips, KSTP Sports confirmed. ESPN was first to report the move.
Dosunmu, 26, is in the final year of his contract and is set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He’s averaging a career-high 15 points to go with 3.6 assists and 3 rebounds per game this season with 51.4%/45.1%/85.7% shooting splits.
He adds much-needed guard depth for the Timberwolves, especially after the team traded Mike Conley on Tuesday.
Phillips is a third-year man averaging less than 10 minutes per game this season.
Dillingham, still just 21, was supposed to be Minnesota’s point guard of the future when the team traded its 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap to draft him No. 8 overall in 2024. However, he never seemed to earn the coaching staff’s trust. He averaged 10.5 minutes per game across 49 contests as a rookie but got just 9.3 minutes per game in 35 games this season.
In Miller, the 33rd overall pick in 2023, the Wolves give up on a 22-year-old with great measurables and potential, but who was also at the end of the bench. He appeared in just 19 games so far this season, averaging 5 minutes per contest, both already career-highs for him.
The four draft picks are also significant since Minnesota has few other draft picks it can move in any deals.
The Timberwolves are reportedly still in the running for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, although that deal would require much more significant players leaving Minnesota.
The trade deadline is at 2 p.m. (CT) on Thursday.
This is a breaking news story. Stay with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS for updates.