Through three preseason games, the Chicago Bulls’ leading scorer is none other than Ayo Dosunmu. The fifth-year guard is averaging 16.7 points on 59.4 percent shooting from the field, 44.4 percent from three, and a perfect 100 percent from the line.
Dosunmu’s strong start is especially impressive considering it’s his first game action since undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in March. Yet he hasn’t shown the slightest bit of rust, emerging as arguably the Bulls’ most impactful player through the early stages of the preseason.
Still, Dosunmu’s strong start poses more questions than answers. Where does the 6-foot-5 guard fit into Chicago’s rotation? Is he better suited as a starter or as the first man off the bench? And beyond this season, where does he fit into the Bulls’ long-term plans? Should Chicago prioritize re-signing him—or could his immediate return to form make him a trade chip instead?
The fifth starter spot is murkier than ever for the Bulls
The first question is the most pressing. Head coach Billy Donovan has already established Chicago’s core four: Coby White, Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and Nikola Vučević. That leaves one spot up for grabs, with Dosunmu, Isaac Okoro, Kevin Huerter, and Tre Jones all competing for the fifth and final spot in the starting lineup.
Both Okoro and Huerter started Chicago’s first preseason game with Coby White sidelined, but neither made much of an impression while Dosunmu and Jones both stood out in reserve roles. In the Bulls’ second contest, Jones replaced the injured Huerter in the starting lineup and turned in another strong performance, as did Dosunmu, who finished with 16 points and three rebounds. Okoro, meanwhile, continued to struggle offensively, scoring six points on 3-of-11 shooting.
Donovan stuck with Jones and Okoro as starters for the second straight game, and the 6-foot-1 point guard once again delivered a well-rounded performance, filling up the stat sheet. Okoro, meanwhile, finished with seven points on 2-of-7 shooting. Coming off the bench once more, Dosunmu stole the show—dropping 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.
Okoro might be the best fit for the fifth starting spot as a 6-foot-5, 225-pound wing with elite defensive intensity, but his shooting remains a concern. He’s just 3-for-14 from beyond the arc through three games, and the Bulls desperately need spacing to open the floor for Giddey, White, and Buzelis to attack the rim.
Jones is a viable option for the fifth starting spot, but he’s better suited as a reserve floor general who can run the offense whenever Giddey or White sits. After one subpar outing, Huerter shouldn’t be written off. Still, the Bulls’ starting unit needs more defense, and that’s never been Huerter’s strength, even if he’s no liability on that end.
Dosunmu offers the best of both worlds. He’s a well-rounded offensive player who can score both on and off the ball while providing much-needed defensive versatility. At 6-foot-5, he matches Okoro in height but is about 25 pounds lighter, which limits his ability to defend with the same level of physicality.
Contract decision looms over Dosunmu’s future with Bulls
However, with Jones and Okoro signed beyond this season, the question is whether Chicago is prioritizing them to best fit alongside Giddey, White, and Buzelis. Meanwhile, Dosunmu and Huerter are on expiring contracts, leaving the door open for either player to be moved in a midseason trade.
This brings us to the conundrum of whether giving Dosunmu significant minutes is the right move. First, there’s no reason the Illinois product shouldn’t see 20-plus minutes per game—he’s simply too important to the team. The real question is whether the Bulls should extend his playing time to maximize his trade value before the deadline, or manage it carefully in hopes of re-signing him in the offseason to a modest deal.
In all likelihood, the Bulls will opt for the former. With Vučević still in the starting lineup despite turning 35 in the coming days and continuing to limit the team defensively, Chicago appears to be either positioning for a potential trade-deadline deal or prioritizing continuity.
In an ideal scenario, Okoro takes over the starting role, providing a much-needed defensive edge to an otherwise defense-light unit while also hitting his fair share of spot-up threes. This would leave Dosunmu, Huerter, and Jones coming off the bench as key reserves.
Dosunmu’s strong preseason showing, combined with his splits last year as a starter, should cement him as the fifth starter. However, if he continues to outperform expectations, Chicago may be inclined to re-sign the 25-year-old guard rather than trade him. That, in turn, raises another complication: the Bulls’ leading scorer from last season—also a 6-foot-5, 25-year-old guard, Coby White—is up for a lucrative extension.
All in all, Dosunmu’s impressive preseason play has done the Bulls’ brass no favors. Normally, this wouldn’t be the case when a player is proving impactful following a major injury. Still, Chicago faces multiple decisions, and Ayo sits at the crux of many of them.