Sports
NBA Rumors: Bulls RFA Ayo Dosunmu Targeted by Raptors After Fred VanVleet Exit – Bleacher Report
The Toronto Raptors could use more depth at the point guard position after Fred VanVleet signed with the Houston Rockets, and they are reportedly looking toward Ayo Dosunmu.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Raptors are interested in the restricted free agent even after signing Dennis Schröder to help replace VanVleet. Yet the Chicago Bulls could match any offer Toronto makes on Dosunmu this offseason.
Chicago has been fairly busy this offseason. It re-signed Nikola Vučević and Coby White and also brought in Jevon Carter, which means the backcourt could be somewhat crowded if it decides to bring back Dosunmu as well.
Still, it would be somewhat surprising if the Bulls didn’t want to keep him.
After all, this is a team that is coming off a loss in the play-in tournament. It didn’t look the part of an actual contender last season despite having DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine and might be better off giving some of the younger players more minutes with an eye toward the future.
Dosunmu fits the bill at 23 years old, especially since he showed flashes of his potential in his first two seasons.
The Illinois product was an All-Rookie Second Team selection in 2021-22 and then followed up by averaging 8.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game in his second season. He can also guard multiple positions as a versatile defender and is a solid ball-handler who averaged just 1.2 turnovers per game last season.
His 31.2 percent clip from three-point range in 2022-23 leaves plenty to be desired, but he can impact the game in a number of ways.
Dosunmu could anchor the secondary unit for the Raptors or even fill in as part of the starting lineup as necessary. He wouldn’t be a franchise-altering addition, but he could help make up the gap on some of the teams near the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff picture after Toronto lost in the play-in tournament a season ago.
And his departure would hurt the very Bulls team that eliminated the Raptors in that play-in tournament.