Restricted NBA free agent Ayo Dosunmu has agreed to a three-year, $21 million deal to stay with the Chicago Bulls, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Dosunmu was linked to the Toronto Raptors, but the guard is staying with the Bulls.
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.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Ayo Dosunmu & Chicago Bulls Updates
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.
An anonymous member of the Bulls told Keith Smith of Spotrac that the franchise is “still very high” on Dosunmu. The quote came during Summer League in Las Vegas when Dosunmu was still a restricted free agent.
“We’re still very high on Ayo,” the anonymous member of the Bulls said. “This is how restricted free agency can go sometimes. Don’t read anything into our opinion of him as a player just because he isn’t signed.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Ayo Dosunmu & Chicago Bulls Updates
It looks like the Bulls will not rebuild the roster. Vucevic, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, Chicago’s three best players, are still on the team. The New York Knicks tried to trade for LaVine, but Chicago’s asking price for the two-time NBA All-Star was “giant,” according to Fred Katz of The Athletic.
The Bulls and Knicks never got close to a LaVine trade since New York wasn’t willing to give Chicago want it wanted for the two-time Slam Dunk champion.
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