Roster changes feel inevitable for the Chicago Bulls. The front office is commited to a rebuild, and that means multiple players could leave the franchise in the coming seasons.
Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale has pinpointed Ayo Dosunmu as the player the Bulls would be most likely to trade this summer.
“Ayo Dosunmu is the best bet,” Favale wrote when discussing the most likely player to be traded. “He is entering the final year of a contract on a salary that’s not large enough to realistically extend ($7.5 million), and Chicago has Josh Giddey (restricted free agent), Coby White and Lonzo Ball to populate its backcourt.”
Dosunmu is at the back of a loaded guard rotation. He is unlikely to earn significant minutes for Billy Donovan’s team next season. Therefore, a potential trade could be what’s in everyone’s best interests. Chicago could get fair value for Dosunmu, as expiring contracts are a valuable commodity in the NBA.
Bulls Have a Tough Choice to Make
Both Coby White and Dosunmu are entering the final year of their respective deals. During a recent discussion on the “Chicago Lead,” K.C. Johnson shared his thoughts on the Bulls upcoming roster decisions.
“From my seat they’ve got to try to look to trade either Ayo [Dosunmu] or Coby [White],” Johnson said. “I think it will be very hard to re-sign both of them after next year when they both hit unrestricted free agency. You’ve got to get out in front of things like that…And, you’ve got to make these hard decisions, because you’re not going to be re-signing Josh Giddey this summer, and Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White after next summer. I just don’t see that.”
Dosunmu played in 46 games this past season. He averaged 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists, shooting 49.2% from the field an d 32.8% from deep. There will undoubtedly be teams interested in adding him to their rotation.
Lonzo Ball Shares Injury Update
Despite bouncing back from a two-year injury-forced absence, Lonzo Ball struggled with a string of little injuries last season. A wrist issue kept him out for the final 22 games of the Bulls’ season.
In a recent episode of the ‘What An Experience with Lonzo Ball’ podcast, the veteran playmaker provided an update on his current recovery.
“I’m feeling great, man. Back on the court this week, man,” Ball said. “So, moving around. Got a long summer. Gearing up for next year.”
Ball should be ready to go for when the new season starts. As such, Dosunmu will begin the season buried deep on the Bulls’ depth chart. He is too good to warm the bench for an entire season, playing limited minutes as a result. Therefore, the Bulls would be doing right by him if they sought out a trade partner.
Of course, Dosunmu may not be traded during the summer, the Bulls may need to wait until closer to the trade deadline. Still, Favale may be onto something. Dosunmu certainly feels like a trade candidate as we look ahead to the 2025-26 season.
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