RealGM Basketball Wiretap

30 December 2025

• Coby White, Josh Giddey Leave Bulls' Loss With Injuries; Zach Collins Out With Sprained Toe

  Coby White and Josh Giddey both left the Chicago Bulls' 136-101 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves with injuries on Monday night.

  White left the game in the first quarter with a right calf strain. White missed the first 11 games of the season with a calf injury.

  Giddey left the game with an apparent hamstring injury.

  Coach Billy Donovan did not have any updates after the game.

  Donovan added that Zach Collins is expected to miss several games with a sprained toe.

• Bulls Two-Way Player Trentyn Flowers Getting NCAA Recruiting Interest

  Chicago Bulls two-way player Trentyn Flowers is garnering interest from NCAA teams. The NCAA has not ruled on granting eligibility to players with NBA experience as of yet. Players who have played professionally outside of the NBA have been granted eligibility, as was recently seen with James Nnaji enrolling at Baylor.

  The list of teams reportedly interested in Flowers includes several traditional power conference teams. Kentucky, Michigan, BYU, Kansas, Washington, Texas Tech, Florida, USC, LSU, SMU, Indiana, and Clemson have all shown interest in bringing Flowers to campus.

  Flowers committed to Louisville, but never played for the Cardinals. The 6-foot-9 forward played a season for Adelaide in Australia's NBL, before declaring as an early entry candidate for the 2024 NBA Draft.

  After going undrafted, Flowers signed a two-way deal with the LA Clippers. This past offseason, the 20-year-old signed a two-way deal with the Bulls. In one-plus seasons, Flowers has appeared in a total of eight NBA games.

  NCAA programs have been pursuing players with previous professional experience. Nnaji will play for Baylor, despite his NBA Draft Rights being owned by the New York Knicks. Multiple teams have considered Jazian Gortman, who played in 16 NBA games for the Dallas Mavericks last season.

• Timberwolves Register Interest In Coby White, Collin Sexton; Will Not Trade Jaden McDaniels

  The Minnesota Timberwolves continue to look to add a point guard in the trade market, sources told Jake Fischer of The People's Insider.

  The Wolves have registered interest in both the Bulls' Coby White and Hornets' Collin Sexton.

  The Bulls have signaled that they are more open to trading White than they have been in the past.

  The Hornets are reportedly opening to making some deals in an effort to make the postseason this year.

  The Wolves will not trade Jaden McDaniels in any deal. The 25-year-old is averaging 15.0 points and 4.6 rebounds on the year.

• Bulls Signal Increased Willingness To Consider Coby White Trade

  The Chicago Bulls have indicated to rival teams they are more open to trading guard Coby White than previously, sources said. White is in the final year of his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent in July.

  White's contract status complicates Chicago's ability to maximize his trade value. He is earning $12.9 million this season on an expiring deal.

  Under NBA veteran extension rules, White would be limited to a projected four-year, $86.9 million extension with a first-year salary of $19.4 million. He can extend for the greater of 140% of his current salary or 140% of the estimated average player salary.

  White is expected to exceed $20 million annually as a free agent in 2026. His potential earnings surpass what Chicago can offer in an extension.

  White is averaging 21.2 points, 5.2 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 29.3 minutes through 11 games this season after coming back from a calf injury.

  The Feb. 5 trade deadline gives Chicago limited time to decide whether to move White. The Bulls have not committed to trading the guard but have communicated openness to potential deals.

  White's expiring contract makes him an attractive trade candidate for teams seeking short-term help or salary cap flexibility. Chicago faces the choice of trading him now or losing him in free agency without compensation.

  The Bulls' willingness to discuss White represents a shift from their previous stance on his availability.

• Bulls Granted $2.7M Disabled Player Exception For Noa Essengue

  The Chicago Bulls have been granted a $2.7 million Disabled Player Exception. This exception was approved due to Noa Essengue being ruled out for the season due to a shoulder injury.

  A DPE is approved for half of the player's salary, with a maximum amount up to the equivalent of the Non-Taxpayer MLE. Essengue's salary is $5.4 million for this season, which gave Chicago a $2.7 million DPE.

  The Bulls will have until March 10 to use this DPE. They can sign a player to a one-year deal worth up to the full $2.7 million DPE amount. Chicago could also acquire or claim off waivers a player on an expiring contract whose salary fits within the $2.7 million DPE.

• Coby White Prefers To Stay With Bulls

  Chicago Bulls guard Coby White is no stranger to be involved in trade rumors. Recently, White was rumored to be a target of the Minnesota Timberwolves. For his part, the veteran combo guard said he prefers to stay with the Bulls.

  "I love being here. I love being on this team. But I understand it's a business and it's different going into unrestricted free agency," White said. "They have to do what they think is best for the organization. It's out of my control."

  White is making $12.8 million in the final year of his deal with Chicago. That figure is considered too low for the Bulls to extend White off of, so the versatile guard is expected to become an unrestricted free agent this coming summer. If Arturas Karnisovas feels White could walk for nothing, it would be the Bulls best interest to trade him by the trade deadline.

• Domantas Sabonis Remains Patient With Kings Amid Potential Interest From Wizards, Suns, Bulls

  The Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls have shown significant interest in acquiring Domantas Sabonis from the Sacramento Kings in the past and remain on his short list of possible suitors, according to league sources.

  However, Sabonis is prepared to remain in Sacramento for the foreseeable future. The 29-year-old center has heeded general manager Scott Perry's call for patience amid the Kings' rebuilding efforts.

  Sabonis' contract runs through the 2027-28 season with $94 million owed over the next two seasons. The magnitude of the financial commitment inevitably limits his trade market.

  League sources say Sabonis has accepted Sacramento's current direction. The center understands the franchise's long-term approach under first-year general manager Perry.

  Sabonis has been sidelined since November 19 with a partial tear of his left meniscus. He was scheduled to be re-evaluated within the next week.

  The injury adds another layer of complexity to any potential trade discussions. Teams interested in acquiring Sabonis must account for his health status and rehabilitation timeline.

  Sacramento has opened its roster for business amid a disappointing 6-19 start. The Kings sit last in the Western Conference and face questions about their veteran core.

  Perry has signaled commitment to retaining draft picks for the rebuild. That stance could keep veterans like Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk in Sacramento past the February 5 trade deadline. DeRozan is signed through 2026-27, while Monk has a player option ahead of 2027-28. Sabonis is signed through 2028.

  The general manager made a plea for organizational patience regarding his long-term vision. Perry hopes retained draft assets will play a pivotal role in building a sustainable winner. The Kings have only moved up in the lotteryfour times with the most recent being in 2022 when they selected Keegan Murray at No. 2.

• Wolves Express Interest With Bulls On Coby White

  The Minnesota Timberwolves have legitimate interest in Chicago Bulls point guard Coby White, though his looming unrestricted free agency presents a significant obstacle to any potential deal.

  The Chicago Sun-Times first reported Minnesota's inquiry about White this week. Jon Krawczynski reported there is "nothing cooking" in terms of active trade talks between the teams.

  White is making $12.8 million in the final year of his contract. The 25-year-old guard is widely expected to seek a major raise this summer as an unrestricted free agent.

  A Wolves source confirmed legitimate interest in White. However, the uncertainty surrounding his next contract creates a "rental" situation that significantly lowers his trade value. The Wolves don't currently have any tradeable first round picks, but they do have three swaps available.

  Minnesota president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has established himself as one of the NBA's most aggressive executives. The Timberwolves pursued Kevin Durant this summer before he was traded to the Houston Rockets.

  Minnesota also monitored the Ja Morant situation with the Memphis Grizzlies. That move appears very unlikely at this point.

  The Timberwolves started 10-8 after reaching consecutive Western Conference Finals. Minnesota has won five of their past six games and stands at 15-9, sixth in the Western Conference.

  The slow start mirrors last season's trajectory. Minnesota began 8-10 and stood at 13-11 through 24 games before winning 17 of their final 20 contests.

  The Timberwolves' due-diligence approach will likely generate numerous trade rumors before the February 5 deadline. Most speculation involves point guard additions to support franchise cornerstone Anthony Edwards.

• Bulls Fielding Interest On Coby White

  The Chicago Bulls are expected to be active during trade season. Chicago has several veteran players on expiring contracts that they could use to acquire long-term fits, or future assets. One player the Bulls are receiving interest in is guard Coby White.

  There isn't a sense on how willing Chicago is to move White at this point. White is on an expiring $12.8 million contract this season. That figure is considered too low for the veteran combo guard to considering an extension. That means White will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

  The Bulls recently inked Josh Giddey to a four-year, $100 million contract to lead their backcourt. Ayo Dosunmu is also set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. If Chicago believes White may receive offers for more money than they are willing to pay, Arturas Karnisovas may choose to trade the guard vs losing him for nothing.

• Bulls Expected To Have Trade Interest In Jonathan Kuminga

  The Chicago Bulls had interest in Jonathan Kuminga during his restricted free agency and Marc Stein reports that he has been advised to monitor them to revisit that interest once he becomes trade eligible on January 15th. Kuminga is expected to be a prominent name in trade rumors ahead of the February 5th NBA trade deadline.

  Kuminga signed a two-year $48.5 million deal with a team option before the start of the season after a prolonged restricted free agency with the Golden State Warriors.

  After beginning the season strong as a starter, Kuminga has again fallen out of Steve Kerr's rotation behind the likes of Will Richard and Gui Santos on the Warriors' depth chart.

  Kuminga was previously on the Bulls' radar as the Warriors discussed trades previously for Alex Caruso, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic.

  Kuminga is averaging 12.4 points and 6.3 rebounds in 25.7 minutes across 17 games.