NBA analyst reveals ‘most likely’ Chicago Bulls trade candidate

One might think that Coby White, a borderline All-Star scorer, and Nikola Vucevic, a solid defender on an expiring contract, would be the most likely trade candidates in the Windy City. Instead, Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes believes the Chicago Bulls are more likely to part with Ayo Dosunmu.

“With an expiring $7.5 million salary too small to realistically extend and legitimate two-way value, Ayo Dosunmu profiles as one of the league’s most obvious trade candidates,” Hughes wrote. Dosunmu also feels like a less important guard to this team. White is a star, and Dosunmu is a solid role player. That makes him a little more expendable, although that argument doesn’t hold when compared to Vucevic.

“The Chicago Bulls could chance it by holding onto him all year and hoping to re-sign him in unrestricted free agency (Bird rights will help there), or they could eliminate the risk of losing Dosunmu for nothing by moving him ahead of the deadline,” Hughes added. Dosunmu is shooting 51.9% from the field and an astonishing 47.5% (career-best) from distance. All that has led to 15.2 points per game, so his value is on the rise.

“Chicago should want to keep Dosunmu, but Josh Giddey is clearly the team’s top ball-handler, and Coby White seems like the bigger priority as he nears the expiration of his own below-market deal,” Hughes concluded. White may or may not be part of the future plans, but if the losses continue, the Bulls will need to make some changes, and moving on from Dosunmu is easier to stomach and might be smarter.