TOKYO — Former Chicago Bulls basketball star Dennis Rodman is traveling to North Korea on Tuesday and hopes to meet Kim Jong Un, according to associates, at a time when President Trump is said to be trying to set up a secret channel to North Korea. 

Rodman’s trip has sparked speculation that he may be traveling to free some or all of the four American citizens being held by North Korea, perhaps as a first and important step toward lessening tensions between Washington and Pyongyang. 

Trump, who had Rodman on his “Celebrity Apprentice” show for two seasons, has recently called Kim a “smart cookie” and has said he would be “honored” to meet him. 

Multiple people involved in unofficial talks with North Korea say that the Trump administration has been making overtures toward the Kim regime, including trying to set up a secret back channel to the North Korean leader using “an associate of Trump’s” rather than the usual lineup of North Korea experts and former officials who talk to Pyongyang’s representatives [....]