The NBA Draft is over, and the Summer League is starting to wrap up, but that doesn’t mean the NBA news will stop anytime soon.
There are still plenty of teams jockeying for position, as the NBA season is just a few months away. One thing that adds even more excitement to the mix is that Illini fans get to hear our players more in the news when it comes to NBA chatter.
Ayo Dosunmu trade rumors have been the latest buzz. Golden State Warriors’ forward Jonathan Kuminga wants out, and Brett Siegel of Clutch Points has floated the idea of Ayo Dosunmu being a part of a sign-and-trade that sends Kuminga to the Chicago Bulls and Ayo to the Warriors.
Kuminga’s camp want a big deal in the $30M+ range and don’t want to be back with Warriors.
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) July 19, 2025
Golden State wants a small deal in $20M range where they can flip him because there’s no market.
Dubs still holding out that a S&T with Bulls can happen. Ayo Dosunmu is a good player. https://t.co/YTpZxhIqKw
Honestly, this would be the best scenario for Ayo if he does get traded. It would be sad to see him leave Chicago, considering he played high school basketball for Morgan Park, he played at Illinois, and he is now with the Bulls. But if he does get traded, at least it wouldn’t be to a dumpster fire of a franchise.
Ayo could head to Golden State and learn from Steph Curry and his treasure trove of knowledge. That would be invaluable for his career. He could also feed off of Jimmy Butler. I feel like these two would mesh well together, as they both have a bulldog approach to the game. On top of that, there would be a fun little flair of Orange and Blue on the Warriors’ roster.
Illinois basketball could get the backcourt we were so close to getting just years ago
If Ayo got traded to the Warriors, my guess is that he would instantly become a key part of the second rotation. Ayo would likely be one of the first, if not the first, player off the bench and would get north of 20 minutes per game.
The part that intrigues me, beyond Ayo’s development under some great players, is that there could be times we see two former Illinois basketball players in the backcourt together.
Ayo would come over and join Brandin Podziemski in the Golden State backcourt. Podziemski averaged 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 37.2% from three-point range for the Warriors last season. These two would be great together, as they are both young rising stars on an aging Golden State roster.
Illinois fans never got to see the two play together in Champaign, though. Ayo bolted after his junior year for the NBA in 2021. Podziemski then entered the picture for the 2021-22 campaign. He would later transfer after his freshman season, after playing a total of just 69 minutes, despite being the only NBA player on the roster. It is still one of the biggest blunders by Brad Underwood, but I digress.
The possibility for Ayo and Podziemski to be in the same backcourt is real. There are still some hurdles to go over, but the rumblings of a possible trade are out there. Let’s see if we can get a little Orange and Blue flavor on the West Coast in the coming years.