The Chicago Bulls have won two of their last three games after six consecutive losses. After recently defeating the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors, Chicago is firmly in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. The Play-In Tournament is a very real and likely possibility.
While finishing in 10th place is not the desired result after trading leading scorer Zach LaVine at the trade deadline, Chicago's Eastern Conference counterparts, Philadelphia, Toronto, and the Brooklyn Nets, are unlikely to best the Bulls' record as the season winds down. The Sixers will be without Joel Embiid, the Raptors' Brandon Ingram has yet to appear for his new team, and the Nets are arguably one of the biggest overachievers this season, considering their roster construction.
Ayo Dosunmu is set to miss the remainder of the season
While the Bulls traded LaVine, the rest of the roster has remained relatively intact. Chicago's injury luck has been better than most of the association this season. However, one of the Bulls' best players is set to miss the remainder of the season after experiencing instability in his left shoulder.
Medical Update: After experiencing left shoulder instability and further evaluation from training and medical professionals, Ayo Dosunmu will undergo surgery and be out for the remainder of the season.
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 2, 2025
Updates will be provided as appropriate. pic.twitter.com/73JgzApS9W
25-year-old guard Ayo Dosunmu is slated to undergo surgery to repair the injury he suffered against the New York Knicks on February 20. Dosunmu's injury was originally deemed a stinger, then soreness as he sat out Chicago's subsequent affair against the Phoenix Suns two days later.
Following the matchup against Phoenix, Dosunmu's injury was classified as a subluxation—a condition where the shoulder joint partially dislocates. Despite the potential severity of the injury, Dosunmu returned to the lineup eight days after the injury occurred.
Dosunmu suited up against the Raptors on the last day of February. The combo guard entered the contest wearing a sleeve on his left shoulder and appeared to favor his injury throughout the contest. Even with the subluxation, Dosunmu scored 11 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out two assists. The fourth-year guard made one of the crucial plays down the stretch. He turned a steal into a dunk with over two minutes remaining in overtime to give the Bulls a five-point advantage.
In 46 appearances and 26 starts, Dosunmu averaged career highs of 30.3 minutes, 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. The Illinois product finished the season shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 32.8 percent from three.
Dosunmu's 46 games were the fewest in any season of his career. In his first three seasons, Ayo appeared in 77, 80, and 76 games. Without the combo guard in tow, the Bulls will likely rely on new additions, Tre Jones and Kevin Huerter, to replace the absent minutes.