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Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan looks on against the Indiana Pacers.
The Chicago Bulls have begun changing their roster, trading Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a one-for-one swap for Isaac Okoro. Moreover, Bulls guards Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White could be next out the door in a trade.
Dosunmu ($21 million) and White ($36 million) both inked three-year contracts with the Bulls during the 2023 offseason for a combined $57 million.
Now, the duo is expected to generate trade interest after the Bulls’ deal, specifically Dosunmu.
“Bulls remain active in trade market,” Chicago Sports Network’s K.C. Johnson reported on X on June 28. “FWIW, I’ve heard more chatter surrounding Ayo Dosunmu than Coby White.”
Dosunmu is a 25-year-old Chicago native and was a member of the 2021-22 All-Rookie Second Team. He averaged career-highs with 12.3 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game with a 56.1% effective field goal mark last season.
He was the No. 38 overall pick in his class, but the Bulls’ top pick in the 2021 draft.
Dosunmu has been mentioned in trade speculation for years. Entering the final year of his current deal could be the catalyst for the Bulls to finally pull the trigger.
Coby White Not Out of Trade Woods
GettyCoby White #0 of the Chicago Bulls reacts against the Miami Heat in the Play-In Tournament.
Johnson previously reported his belief that the Bulls would need to explore their trade options with Dosunmu and/or White this offseason.
“I think it’ll be very hard to resign both of them after next year, when they both hit unrestricted free agency. So, I think you got to get out in front of things like that. What’s crazy is, they value both those players highly, and they, obviously, are a big part of how they want to play stylistically,” Johnson said on “The Chicago Lead” on June 17. “So, I think that’d be a tough decision to make, but that’s a front office’s job, is to make our decisions.
“You’ve got to make these hard decisions, because you’re not going to be re-signing, Josh Giddey this summer, and Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White after next summer. I just don’t see that. So, I think you gotta get out in front of one of those two situations.”
“From my seat they’ve got to try to look to trade either Ayo [Dosunmu] or Coby [White].”
Bulls Insider @KCJHoop joined The Chicago Lead to discuss if the Bulls should consider trading Coby White and how the Desmond Bane trade might impact their decision 👀
Giddey is expected to command $30 million annually on his next deal.
Like Dosunmu, White has frequented trade speculation. The Bulls could look to capitalize on his strong play (career-high 20.4 PPG, with 4.5 APG, and 3.7 RPG) in a trade this summer.
Bulls Blasted Over Lonzo Ball Trade
GettyLonzo Ball #2 of the Chicago Bulls looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Bulls are back under fire after the trade sending Ball to the Cavs. Many have noted the Bulls received one first-round pick in their various deals sending Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings, and now this one.
That one pick was the Bulls’ own from their trade to acquire DeRozan in 2021.
As they did with Caruso (multiple times), the Bulls ultimately traded Ball after turning down a first-round pick.
.@Will_Gottlieb gives his INSTANT REACTION to the Bulls trading Lonzo Ball to Cleveland:
“This is a skipped step”
The Bulls received Giddey alone in the Caruso trade. Unlike that deal, Okoro has two more years on his three-year, $33 million contract. Still, accumulating as much draft capital as possible and building through the draft remains the most proven way to title contention.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He’s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
