Did the Chicago Bulls quietly win the Ayo Dosunmu trade? And is national media seriously underrating Josh Giddey?
On today’s episode of **Locked On Bulls**, Haize and Pat The Designer revisit one of the most important moves of the Bryson Graham era: **Chicago’s trade of Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips to Minnesota**.
The Bulls received **Leonard Miller, Rob Dillingham and four second-round picks**, then later turned Dillingham into **Buddy Hield**. Meanwhile, Miller has emerged as one of Chicago’s most intriguing young players. Pasted text
Ayo remains a proven NBA contributor and signed a reported **five-year, $112 million extension** with Minnesota, but Chicago has now turned one outgoing player into several pieces of its rebuild. Pasted text
So Haize and Pat ask the real question: **if Minnesota offered Ayo back today for Leonard Miller, Buddy Hield and the remaining assets, would the Bulls even say yes?**
The guys also dive into **The Ringer’s criticism of Josh Giddey** after ranking him No. 83 in its latest NBA Top 100. The concern is not his raw production. Giddey averaged **17 points, 9.1 assists and 8.3 rebounds** last season. The concern is whether those numbers translate into winning impact.
The Ringer highlighted Giddey’s struggles finishing drives, his pull-up shooting efficiency and his turnover rate, while questioning whether he can become a true high-level offensive engine. Pasted text
That creates a great Bulls debate: **is Giddey a future All-Star, or a high-level complementary player who happens to put up All-Star-looking numbers?**
Haize and Pat break down whether Giddey makes **Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, Leonard Miller and Norman Powell** better enough to outweigh his scoring limitations, and whether Chicago eventually needs to add a true top-30 NBA player to raise the ceiling of the rebuild.
Plus, the guys discuss **Jalen Smith’s growing value heading into a contract year**.
Smith scored **15 points, grabbed seven rebounds and hit three threes against Milwaukee**, continuing to show why his floor spacing gives Chicago something very different from Nic Claxton. Pasted text
That raises a difficult front-office question. If Smith continues shooting near 40% from three, should the Bulls commit long-term money to him? Or could his rising value make him one of Bryson Graham’s best trade assets before the deadline?
## Topics Include:
- Did the Bulls win the Ayo Dosunmu trade?
- Leonard Miller’s emergence
- Turning Rob Dillingham into Buddy Hield
- Would Chicago reverse the Ayo trade today?
- The Ringer ranking Josh Giddey No. 83
- Is Giddey’s production translating to winning?
- Giddey’s finishing and pull-up shooting concerns
- Future All-Star or elite complementary player?
- Jalen Smith’s contract-year breakout
- Jalen Smith vs Nic Claxton
- Should Chicago extend or trade Smith?
- Bulls roster-building under Bryson Graham
The Bulls are reaching the point where the rebuild is no longer just about collecting young talent. **Now Chicago has to decide which players truly raise the ceiling, which trades aged well, and which contracts are worth paying.**
🎙️ **Tune in to Locked On Bulls as Haize and Pat debate the Ayo Dosunmu trade, Josh Giddey’s national-media criticism and what the Bulls should do with Jalen Smith before his value gets even more expensive.**
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