With the possibility of veteran guard Patrick Beverley entering the offseason as a free agent, the Milwaukee Bucks’ defense and backcourt rotation will definitely take a hit. But if the franchise is being ambitious, there’s no better player to pursue out there than Chicago Bulls star Ayo Dosunmu.
Dosunmu first entered the league as the Bulls’ 38th pick in the 2021 Draft, the same class as Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham and Houston Rockets’ Jalen Green. His selection comes after an impressive three-year run playing for Illinois in college.
The former college standout started his rookie campaign by playing 77 games for the Bulls, 40 of which Dosunmu started. During that stretch, the shooting guard averaged 8.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. He also connected 52 percent of his field goals, 37 percent from the three-point line, and 81 percent from the free throw line.
While his sophomore campaign was mostly forgettable, Dosunmu’s third year in the NBA saw the guard take a leap in performance. Thanks to All-Star Zach LaVine’s absence due to injury, he found himself landing an important role for Chicago. In the 76 games he played this season, Dosunmu notched 12.2 points on 40 percent shooting from beyond the arc, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per contest. He has also shown flashes on the defensive end of the court, making him an intriguing prospect to pursuit in free agency for most teams in the league.
Chicago Bulls’ Ayo Dosunmu Considered As An Ambitious Trade Target For Milwaukee Bucks This Offseason
As mentioned earlier, Beverley’s contract with the Bucks just expired and he’s set to enter free agency if the team won sign him back. If that happens, going for Dosunmu might make more sense for Milwaukee, as stated in an article posted on Bleacher Report.
“Assuming aggressive fan-engager and free agent Patrick Beverley won’t be back in Milwaukee next season, the Bucks and their underperforming defense will need another point-of-attack ballhawk. Ayo Dosunmu is much more than that after a career year in which he averaged 12.2 points and 3.2 assists while hitting 40.3 percent of his triples, but we’re trying to be ambitious.
For the Bucks to have any chance at a player as young, effective and cheap (two years left at just $14 million) as Dosunmu, they’ll have to surrender a rotation piece like Bobby Portis or Pat Connaughton, plus the 2024 second-rounder they have coming from the Portland Trail Blazers. It might even take carve-outs to the swap rights on their 2024, 2026 and 2030 picks—the first two of which they owe to New Orleans and the last to Portland,” the article stated.
As compared to Beverley, Dosunmu can provide another layer to the Bucks’ offense while ensuring their defense doesn’t fall off. His youth also assures the team of another shot creator if ever All-Star guard Damian Lillard is unavailable due to injuries.
It remains to be seen whether Milwaukee will pursue Dosunmu or not in the offseason. In any case, he brings a lot of advantages to the table if the Bucks decide to trade for him in the coming months.
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