Bulls’ Ayo Dosunmu Ready To Battle For Major Role Amid Guard Logjam

Ayo Dosunmu re-signed with the Chicago Bulls on a three-year, $21 million deal in restricted NBA free agency and the guard is ready to compete with his teammates once training camp starts.

The Bulls have several guards on the roster and it’s unknown who the team’s starting point guard will be since Lonzo Ball will miss the entire 2023-24 season.

“You know I always want to come out here and compete,” Dosunmu said, via Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. “Anybody who says they don’t want to start, they would be not telling the truth. But that’s something that will be taken care of in training camp.”

Dosunmu appeared in 80 games for the Bulls last season. He averaged 8.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 49.3% from the field, 31.2% from beyond the arc and 80.5% from the free-throw line.

The Bulls drafted Dosunmu with the 38th overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Illinois. The Chicago native has career averages of 8.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 157 games with his hometown club. The 23-year-old made the 2021-22 All-Rookie team.

Chicago re-signed Coby White and Nikola Vucevic and signed Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig this summer. The Bulls missed the playoffs last season after making it in 2022. The team lost the 8-9 play-in game to the Miami Heat after beating the Toronto Raptors in the 9-10 play-in game.

“Just trying to learn from my mistakes,” Dosunmu said. “Understand the success I had my rookie year and then the stagnant play or the tough road I had a little bit in my sophomore season. My junior year in all of my basketball career has been my best season from high school to college. It’s always been the season where I took the next step. So I’m excited. I know the work that I put in and what I will show. I’m just ready for it.”

The Bulls have won only one playoff game since trading Jimmy Butler in 2017. The team will be under major pressure next season.