Bulls agree to 3-year, $21 million deal with Ayo Dosunmu
The Bulls are bringing back Ayo Dosunmu.
The young guard has agreed on a three-year, $21 million deal to remain in Chicago, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
There was some uncertainty about if the Bulls would retain Dosunmu, but such speculation can now be put to rest. The uncertainty surrounding Lonzo Ball's future in the NBA may have played in factor in Chicago's decision to keep Dosunmu.
Chicago selected Dosunmu out of Illinois in the second round (38th overall pick) of the 2021 NBA Draft, and he has had a consistent role with the squad since. He appeared in 70 games and started in 44 of them as a rookie, and those numbers increased to 80 and 51 respectively during his sophomore season.
Over his first two seasons, he has averaged 8.7 points, 2.9 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 26.8 minutes per performance. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2022, and he was named to the Rising Stars Game at All-Star Weekend in February. Plus, he still has ample room for improvement at just 23 years old.
Even with Ball injured, the Bulls are still decently deep in the backcourt, as Dosunmu will have to share time with Alex Caruso and Jevon Carter at the point guard position. As was the case during his first two seasons, Dosunmu will likely continue to start some games for the Bulls and come off the bench in others depending on the availability of other guys and potentially matchups.
The deal is a logical one for the Bulls, as $7 million a year is a very reasonable rate for steady guard play in today's NBA. Even if Dosunmu doesn't end up working out in Chicago somewhere down the line, the contract should be pretty easy to trade.