Not that he had ever left, but anyway, he’s baaaack! The Chicago Bulls will, barring an unforeseen trade, oversee fan-favorite guard Ayo Dosunmu’s return to the lineup next season. According to Chicago Sports Network’s K.C. Johnson, “All signs point to Ayo Dosunmu returning.”

This tidbit of information is especially newsworthy because of Dosunmu’s looming free agency. The 6-foot-5 guard is set to enter unrestricted free agency next offseason. He’ll play next season on the final year of the three-year, $21 million pact he signed in 2023.

Considering Dosunmu is due for a substantial raise, trade rumors have marred the fourth-year guard. Immediately following the Lonzo Ball trade, Johnson reported that the Bulls remained active in the trade market. And the player’s name he’d heard most often? Dosunmu.

Despite trade rumors Ayo Dosunmu will be back in Chicago next season

Moreover, fallout from the nonstop restricted free agent conundrum painted Dosunmu as an ideal candidate to be shipped to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga. To add fuel to the fire, Johnson reported, “The Bulls had substantive talks with a Western Conference playoff team earlier this offseason regarding Dosunmu.”

Of the Western Conference playoff squads, the Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets (before the litany of moves), and Minnesota Timberwolves make sense as possible teams to engage in trade talks surrounding Dosunmu.

Yet, as Johnson pointed out, “The two teams [Chicago and a Western Conference foe] could not find common ground on a trade package.” Thus, here we are, instead bracing for Dosunmu’s return and a potential contract extension.

Still, it’s unclear whether Dosunmu will sign an extension. His situation is vastly different from teammate Coby White, who’s coming off an NBA-best campaign and is due for a significant raise. Dosunmu was limited to 46 games this past season. He sat the entirety of March and April due to shoulder surgery.

Therefore, it’s likely the Bulls see how Dosunmu responds, rather than throwing $80-plus million at the do-it-all guard. Because Dosunmu is up for an extension, the Bulls can pay, at most, 140 percent of the final year of his salary ($7.5 million) or the league average ($13.9 million). With the league average being higher, Dosunmu’s max extension would cost the Bulls $19.5 million out of the gate.

Is Dosunmu worth $20 million per year? That’s debatable. He’s proven reliable (76 or more appearances in his first three seasons) and displayed notable improvements. Nevertheless, at 25 years old, Dosunmu’s ceiling might be what he’s produced over the last two seasons—12.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 three-pointers per game.

All that matters is that Dosunmu will be back for next season and is expected to begin the 2025-26 campaign in the rotation, as he’ll be fully recovered from shoulder surgery. Dosunmu’s play will ultimately determine whether he’ll be extended. However, don’t be surprised if trade talks begin to resurface ahead of the trade deadline.