The latest Ayo Dosunmu trade rumors are surely giving Bulls fans Deja vu as Chicago's front office prepares to move a valuable asset while ignoring the much-needed rebuild staring them in the face. Instead of maximizing Dosunmu's value, an uninspiring return that moves the franchise sideways rather than forward feels inevitable.
The Bulls have several guards that would be attractive to contending teams. Dosunmu is a plug-and-play, low-usage two-way player who would fit well almost anywhere. The New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets make sense as destinations.
Coby White is a three-level scorer and an underrated playmaker. He would also be a good choice for the Timberwolves if they decide to upgrade before Feb. 5. The Detroit Pistons could also use his services next to Cade Cunningham.
Nikola Vucevic, Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins and Jevon Carter are all veterans on expiring contracts. Tre Jones and Jalen Smith would be valuable role player upgrades.
But fans have seen this movie before.
The latest Ayo Dosunmu trade rumors are painfully familiar
Before we even get to the Dosunmu news, word is already spreading across the league that the Bulls aren't fully prepared to make any move at all.
Chicago has won four of its past five games to vault (sarcasm) to 23-23 and put itself squarely into the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament race -- so, naturally, this front office is on the fence about what to do, according to Zach Kram of ESPN.
Add some win-now players and make a run at the seventh or eighth seed and a likely first-round playoff exit, or trade away assets and build for the future? To most basketball people, that question sounds absurd. But based on this regime's history, don't rule out a strong push to finish 42-40 instead of 40-42.
Insider Marc Stein reported on Jan. 25 via The Stein Line Substack (subscription required) that Chicago is "widely expected participate in some sort of in-season trade" likely involving White or Dosunmu. He even wrote that the franchise is "eager" (eager!) to trade at least one of its players on expiring contracts.
But Bulls fans have seen how these rumors play out. DeMar DeRozan was a likely trade candidate until he wasn't. The team waited too long to capitalize on Zach LaVine's value. That same thing has repeated itself with Vucevic.
At this point, it would be a surprise if Chicago actually made any logical decision. If, by some miracle, the organization were to trade Dosunmu, it's perfectly reasonable to expect a return that doesn't move the needle in any useful direction.