Bulls Reportedly Seen as Potential Jonathan Kuminga Landing Spot amid Warriors Rumors

As the Jonathan Kuminga and Golden State Warriors situation continues to plod along throughout the NBA offseason, the Chicago Bulls reportedly could be a destination after they re-signed Josh Giddey.

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Friday that a sign-and-trade "doesn't seem very plausible" because "the Bulls simply don't have the outgoing trade pieces that the Warriors would be seeking in exchange for their 22-year-old."

However, Fischer also suggested NBA fans shouldn't "dismiss Chicago completely as a future landing spot" since it is projected to have plenty of salary cap next offseason. That is "among the factors that have Kuminga's camp, I'm told, strongly considering … accepting the $7.9 million qualifying offer from Golden State that expires Oct. 1."

How the Kuminga situation will unfold is one of the only remaining questions of the NBA offseason, and there has seemingly been no end in sight at times.

Along those lines, Fischer reported "there has been little substantive dialogue between the two sides since it emerged weeks ago that the Warriors were pushing a two-year, $45 million deal structure in which Golden State holds a team option for Year 2 and strips Kuminga of the right to grant consent on trades in Year 1."

Yet the regular season is looming, and Fischer also reported "there is a sense" something could finally happen during the upcoming week.

Whether that something involves the Bulls remains to be seen, but it would make sense for the Eastern Conference team to take a chance on a young player with high upside such as Kuminga.

After all, Giddey is 22 years old, Coby White is 25 and Matas Buzelis is 20. If there was ever a time to add another playmaker to its young core, it would be at this stage of a rebuilding project for a franchise that hasn't won a playoff series since the 2014-15 campaign.

Relying on veterans such as DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević in recent years has done nothing but produce play-in tournament exits at best. The Bulls also failed to land a number of impact draft picks when they traded away DeRozan, Alex Caruso, Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine, so acquiring talented young players in different ways could help.

Kuminga has been anything but consistent throughout his career, but he has also flashed his talent and has a high ceiling.

Chicago would offer him an opportunity for more consistent playing time than a veteran-laden team with realistic championship aspirations in Golden State, and it could still be a possible destination depending on how things unfold.