Josh Giddey‘s contract situation with the Chicago Bulls has dominated discussion among the fanbase. However, it would appear the other decisions regarding the roster are taking place behind the scenes.
In a recent article from Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, it was reported that Chicago has been “gauging” the market of both Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu.
“Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White have drawn plenty of trade interest around the league, sources said. More teams have inquired about Dosunmu since before the draft than White,” Siegel reported. “While the Chicago Bulls could wind up holding onto both guards and address their futures at the trade deadline, there is still buzz that exists regarding one of these players being dealt this offseason.”
White has been arguably the best player on Chicago’s roster in recent years. He’s emerged as their go-to scorer and shown flashes of a future partnership next to Giddey. However, he is entering the final year of his current contract and will likely want a pay rise next season. He will be an unrestricted free agent this time next year.
Dosunmu, on the other hand, is likely at the back of the guard rotation. Tre Jones has impressed Billy Donovan since arriving midway through last season, which has likely made Dosunmu’s path to legitimate minutes even more difficult.
Bulls Have Been Actively Shopping Dosunmu
According to K.C. Johnson, who was speaking on “670 The Score” in Chicago, Dosunmu’s name has been the one floated around in regards to trade talks.
“I have not heard Coby White’s name,” Johnson said. “That’s all I can say. That doesn’t mean he’s not going to get traded. … In my conversations with people that I talk to around the league, I’ve heard Ayo Dosunmu’s name way more than Coby White’s name…I’ve got my antenna up over which guard is going to be moved, and I can just tell you from my conversations I’ve heard Ayo’s name more than Coby’s name.”
Dosunmu, 25, suited up for 46 games last season, averaging 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He shot 49.2% from the field and 32.8% from 3-point range.
Dosunmu is the Most Likely Bulls Player to be Traded
Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale recently pinpointed Dosunmu as the player the Bulls would be most likely 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.”
Trading Dosunmu and/or White makes sense given the lack of defense Giddey brings to the table. The Bulls will likely need a point-of-attack defender to pair with the playmaking guard if they’re chasing long-term success. However, for now, it wouldn’t make sense to trade both guards this summer. Still, with so much time between now and the start of next season, anything can happen. Interestingly, that’s before we factor in Nikola Vucevic and his expiring contract, too.
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