Our Chicago Bulls just missed out on two of the last three intriguing young free agents on the market this late.
Restricted free agent swingman Bennedict Mathurin ditched the L.A. Clippers in favor of the New Orleans Pelicans, while unrestricted free agent Atlanta Hawks power forward Jonathan Kuminga returned to the West for a starting role on the Minnesota Timberwolves.
All-NBA Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren remains available, although we know Chicago has made its play for a new starting five already.
But the Bulls can still get involved in at least the Kuminga deal, should new executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham want to poach a young player or future draft pick. Let’s get into it.
Bulls Bullets — August 27, 2026
Hall of Fame former Bulls guard Michael Jordan. Photo via NBC. The Bulls did try to bring Kuminga aboard. ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Chicago, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Portland Trail Blazers all actually made contract offers to Kuminga. Elias Schuster of Bulls On SI reminds us that Graham actually was part of the Atlanta front office that traded to acquire Kuminga from the Warriors at last season’s deadline. The Bulls have a $9.4 million exception and a 15th standard roster spot opening at their disposal, although they do have some movable contracts — should Kuminga have demanded more. Charania notes that the Lakers offered the 2022 NBA champ a longer-term (three-year) deal sporting an AAV worth at least more than $12 million. Remember how the Golden State Warriors offered Kuminga a three-year, $75 million deal just last summer when he was a restricted free agent? Frustrated with his changing role in Steve Kerr’s rotation, Kuminga instead agreed to a $45 million, one-plus-one deal. He declined his $22.5 million option for 2026-27 to make a bid for greener pastures… and will now make $6 million next year instead. So that makes two straight summers where Kuminga and agent Aaron Turner left major money on the table in an effort for quicker optionality and a future bag that may never arrive. Turner can spin this however he wants now, but he has absolutely failed his client… according to Aaron Turner circa the 2025 offseason. Danny Emmerman of the San Francisco Standard points out now that Turner told Emmerman himself in an interview last year a deal this slight in 2026 would represent a failure.“This is what’s funny to me,” Turner relayed to Emmerman in 2025 (the whole article is well worth reading in full, by the way). “Everybody’s like, ‘Aaron fucked up.’ I’m like, hold on. Did I fumble something? Because fumbling would mean like next year, if JK is making $10 million a year, you could say I fumbled by not taking [three years for $75 million]. You can’t say I fumbled because I didn’t fumble anything yet.”
Can we say you fumbled now, Aaron? $6 million by our math is a bit less than $10 million, and it’s certainly less than $25 million. Even with a player option for 2027-28, Kuminga has left around $21.5 million on the table already between 2025-26 and 2026-27 alone. As Bobby Marks of ESPN observes, the Timberwolves’ surprise signing of Kuminga to a discount two-year, $13 million contract isn’t quite across the finish line yet. Should Minnesota want to dip below the NBA’s punitive second salary tax apron while adding Kuminga, the team has to shed money elsewhere. Beyond a stretch-and-waive move, the Timberwolves could trade someone.Minnesota will need to make a roster move to fit the Kuminga $6.1M salary below the second apron.The deadline to stretch a player is Saturday. t.co/QdK6Nm6LJr pic.twitter.com/GzG5RSWYCW
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) August 26, 2026 CHGO Sports’ Matt Peck proposes that Chicago could jump in as a third team to take on a contract from Minnesota and facilitate the Kuminga deal. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints notes the Timberwolves are just $3.9 million from the second apron. Per Siegel, the contracts of guards Josh Green and Donte DiVincenzo seem to be most movable. DiVincenzo tore his Achilles tendon during the playoffs last spring, and will likely miss most or all of next season. A player could be traded into the Bulls’ room exception, so long as he doesn’t surpass it. Even before the official news broke, our Chicago Bulls appeared to be out of the running for restricted free agent wing Bennedict Mathurin’s services this summer. Now, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network indicates that the Bulls did explore a Mathurin contract, “but on their terms.” What that entails when Mathurin can evidently be had on a two-year, $16 million remains a mystery. Michael Jordan’s tenure as an NBA on NBC “special on-air contributor” may have been a one-and-done deal. Sources inform Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports that an encore performance from the five-time league MVP is not anticipated this coming season. Jordan sat down with NBC’s Mike Tirico for a single interview, which was subsequently doled out in chunks throughout 2025-26. While it’s always a pleasure to see the best there ever was, the best there ever will be talk about the game, fans (understandably) probably hoped Jordan would be available to comment on live games as they happened like the rest of NBC’s Hall of Fame NBA alum analysts.LAST DANCE: Michael Jordan is 'not expected' to return to NBC Sports' coverage of the NBA this season, sources tell @FOS. t.co/c4bJ9eDGjd
— Michael McCarthy (@MMcCarthyREV) August 26, 2026 Future Hall of Fame wing DeWanna Bonner has found her final WNBA team as she makes one more title push. Sources inform ESPN’s Alexa Philipou that the 39-year-old six-time All-Star will join former Chicago Sky All-Star power forward Angel Reese on her new club, the 25-13 Atlanta Dream. Philipou reports that Bonner is inking a prorated maximum contract with the Sky, worth roughly $116K. Reese has been setting rebounding records in Atlanta, although she might be the third-best player on a club fronted by All-Star guards Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. Bonner enjoyed her best seasons playing alongside shooting guard Diana Taurasi and center Britney Griner on the then-mighty Phoenix Mercury, from 2009-19 — although she remained a high-impact, All-Star contributor on the Connecticut Sun from 2020-24. She started 2025 ring-chasing with the Indiana Fever, but lasted all of nine games before she was waived. Bonner then returned to Phoenix midseason last year, where she remained until she opted for a buyout earlier this week. Across 37 contests for Phoenix in 2026, Bonner has been averaging a still-respectable 10.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 dimes a night. She’ll likely have fewer touches in Atlanta. Philipou reports that Bonner — the second-oldest active player in the W — will be demoted from a starting role with the Mercury to a bench gig for the Dream.BULLS ON BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter
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