The latest Chicago Bulls news, including speculation about the futures of Ayo Dosunmu and Nikola Vucevic and where the team slots into one outlet's post-free agency power rankings.
Bulls going nowhere, according to ESPN
Chicago has done a whole lot of nothing this offseason, so, naturally, The Worldwide Leader has it going a whole lot of nowhere in its post-free agency power rankings. ESPN has the Bulls sitting at No. 23 and 11th in the Eastern Conference.
Lonzo Ball was dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Isaac Okoro, Chicago re-signed backup point guard Tre Jones, drafted 18-year-old Frenchman Noa Essengue with the No. 12 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and brought summer league star Yuki Kawamura aboard on a two-way deal. Josh Giddey is still expected to return.
Okoro should be more useful to head coach Billy Donovan than Ball was. Jones was one of the team's best guards for a brief portion of last season. A healthy Ayo Dosunmu will be a boost. Essengue and Kawamura might not see much of the floor, but they could both help Chicago's up-tempo offense if they do. A leap from Matas Buzelis would be a huge boost of internal improvement.
European teams are on the Nikola Vucevic trail
According to SportKlub and Sportando (h/t Hoops Rumors), a "handful" of European teams hold interest in Bulls' center Nikola Vucevic.
There have been conflicting reports about the 35-year-old's future from pals Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line Substack. Fischer mentioned a lack of trade suitors for Vucevic and the potential that that leads to a split between him and the Bulls via a mid-season buyout.
Stein, on the other hand, pointed out that the trade market for a walking double-double who shot better than 40 percent from three last season and is on an expiring contract should be present, even if not robust. That seems like the better bet, although the fact that Vucevic is still on the roster is another example of poor management from the Bulls' front office.
Ayo Dosunmu is back, but what next?
Dosunmu has a healthy shoulder and is ready for training camp. He'll play a significant role in Donovan's lineup this year. But he's also an unrestricted free agent after the season, as is Coby White.
The Bulls will be paying Giddey a hefty sum. White is entrenched as the team's starting two-guard and was its leading scorer after Chicago traded Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings. Handing Dosunmu a chunk of change to be a third guard seems like a misuse of funds.
Logically, it would make sense to find the 25-year-old Illinois native a new home at this year's trade deadline rather than let him walk for nothing or overpay him next summer. As with most Bulls roster decisions, though, the next move will remain a mystery right up until it isn't.