Sports
Ayo Dosunmu, Bulls Agree to New 3-Year, $21M Contract in 2023 NBA Free Agency – Bleacher Report
After playing his way into a prominent role over the past two seasons, Ayo Dosunmu is returning to the Chicago Bulls on a new contract.
The guard and the Bulls have agreed to a three-year, $21 million contract, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who spoke to Dosunmu’s agent.
A second-round pick in the 2021 NBA draft, Dosunmu became a restricted free agent this offseason. He’s been a key player for Bulls head coach Billy Donovan in the wake of Lonzo Ball’s ongoing issues recovering from a knee injury.
When Dosunmu moved into the starting lineup midway through his rookie season, he was a solid performer for three months. He averaged 11.0 points on 52.1 percent shooting and 5.2 assists per game in 41 appearances from Jan. 15 to April 10.
Donovan saw enough from the 23-year-old to make him a starter coming into the 2022-23 season. He wound up starting 11 more games last season than he did as a rookie, though the arrival of Patrick Beverley in February moved him to a bench role.
Dosunmu did lose some efficiency from his rookie campaign. He shot a respectable 49.3 percent from the field, but his three-point efficiency dropped by more than 6 percentage points (37.4 in 2021-22 to 31.2 last year).
The Bulls also played much better after signing Beverley. They went 12-9 over the final 21 games of the regular season to clinch a spot in the play-in tournament.
There are a lot of questions in Chicago this offseason because the team underachieved after going 46-36 in 2021-22. Beverley established himself as an energizing force down the stretch, but he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason. Meanwhile, Ball is expected to miss the entire 2023-24 season after he underwent a third operation on his knee since January 2022.
Given the potential concerns with their backcourt, retaining Dosunmu at least provides the Bulls with some measure of stability. He has proved to be a capable role player in Donovan’s system and should continue to grow in a familiar setting heading into his third season.