The Bulls missed out on two names that had been hanging around their rumor mill, but that doesn’t mean the door is shut on using those situations to their advantage.
Bennedict Mathurin, who had been tied to Chicago for weeks, reportedly landed a two-year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans. Jonathan Kuminga, a late arrival to the Bulls chatter, also came off the board, agreeing to a two-year contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. For a rebuilding Bulls team with an open roster spot, that looked like a lost chance on the surface.
But there’s a bigger layer here. If Chicago truly wanted to beat the offers Mathurin and Kuminga got, it had the room to do it.
The Bulls also could have pushed harder with a player option, since both players accepted that kind of setup on their new deals. Instead, everything points to a front office that is being deliberate about preserving flexibility.
That’s been the early theme under Bryson Graham. He’s working from scratch and keeping as many tools available as possible, especially after adding team options for Norman Powell and Zach Collins. The message so far is clear: he’s not going to spend or commit just to spend or commit.
And that restraint could still pay off.
New Orleans is in a tight spot after signing Mathurin. The Pelicans are only a couple of million below the luxury tax line and are already over the 15-player limit.
Reports have been pointing for months to a possible move away from Jordan Hawkins, who is owed a little over $7.0 million this season and has not developed into the high-volume knockdown shooter the Pelicans expected. Chicago could make sense as a landing spot because Hawkins’ salary fits cleanly into the Bulls’ remaining room exception, which is $9.4 million.
The contract is also expiring, so Graham wouldn’t be taking on any long-term baggage. There’s another wrinkle, too: Graham was in the Pelicans’ front office when Hawkins went No. 14 overall in 2023. He was a primary voice there at the time and was praised for his evaluation skills, so there’s at least a built-in connection.
Hawkins also wouldn’t be a pure dead-end addition. He hasn’t become the scoring threat many projected out of UConn, but he still has a smooth outside shot, and that kind of floor spacing could help a forward-heavy Bulls roster.
That said, Chicago shouldn’t take him just to do New Orleans a favor. The entire point would be to extract value from the Pelicans if they need to clear the money. A protected first-rounder feels like a stretch, but the Bulls could at least push for second-round value in return.
Minnesota brings a different kind of pressure. Keith Smith of Spotrac reported that Kuminga’s contract will trigger a second apron hard cap, which means the Timberwolves have to trim salary. They also need to get to 14 guaranteed contracts, and right now they would sit at 13 after signing him, so they’d need room for a veteran minimum player as well.
Josh Green has been the most frequently mentioned salary-dump candidate. Still, the Timberwolves also have the option of moving Terrence Shannon Jr. or Joan Beringer, both of whom could make sense for a Bulls team trying to build a tougher, more athletic identity.
Shannon Jr. may be the most realistic target and fits that hard-nosed profile. Beringer would be the dream swing - a 19-year-old seven-footer taken No. 17 in the 2025 NBA Draft who could become a real piece at center.
But that feels unlikely in this setup. Green is probably the preferred trade chip for Minnesota, though his $14.7 million salary makes the math harder for Chicago unless the Bulls move money of their own and get a serious incentive to do it.
That’s the kind of opening Graham has been waiting for. There haven’t been many chances this summer for teams to dump salary and attach draft capital, but that can change fast once front offices start thinking ahead to the 2026-27 season. When that happens, Chicago may finally get the kind of leverage it’s been waiting for.
In Other News...
Pelicans May Have Finally Found The Scoring Help Zion Needed
The Pelicans have spent plenty of time looking for a reliable scoring partner around Zion Williamson, and Bennedict Mathurin may be the latest answer they believe is worth betting on. New Orleans brought him in on a two-year, $16 million contract, giving the roster another young perimeter scorer to slot alongside Williamson, Trey Murphy III and Dejounte Murray while adding a player the front office had tracked before he was dealt to the Clippers.
Mathurins arrival also fits the way the Pelicans seem to be threading the next phase of the roster, with promising young pieces Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen already giving the franchise more to think about after both were named to the 2026 All-Rookie Second Team. The bigger question now is how Mathurin settles into that mix and whether New Orleans sees him as more than a short-term scoring fix, because the interest in him was never just about filling a bench spot. [Read more 🡒]
Yves Missi Just Gave Pelicans Fans A Reason To Feel Better
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For the Pelicans, that matters because they are counting on Missi to anchor the defense and likely open the upcoming NBA season as the starting center. His growth is not just about numbers in a qualifying game, either. It is about whether he can translate that confidence and conditioning into a bigger role in New Orleans, where a steadier Missi could make the front line look a lot more stable. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Backcourt Just Got The Kind Of Respect Fans Notice
The Pelicans backcourt got a quiet but meaningful nod this week when The Athletics Zach Harper placed both Jeremiah Fears and Dejounte Murray among the top 40 NBA guards. Fears checked in at No. 37 after a rookie season that flashed scoring and playmaking ability, while Murray landed at No. 21 on the strength of the efficient two-way impact he showed in his recent games.
For New Orleans, it is the kind of recognition that tends to matter because it reflects more than hype. Fears is heading into his second year with momentum, and Murrays return from limited play gave the Pelicans a better sense of how dangerous their guard rotation can be when both are available. The bigger question is how far that pairing can carry the roster once the season begins to ask for more than just promise. [Read more 🡒]