The Chicago Bulls have too many point guards on their roster, but a proposed trade with the Milwaukee Bucks would fix that.
Chicago's starting backcourt is presumably going to feature new acquisition Josh Giddey alongside Coby White.
Behind Giddey and White, lead guard Ayo Dosunmu will demand big minutes from Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, and a healthy Lonzo Ball means there are one too many cooks in the kitchen as far as Chicago's ball handlers go.
That's not even factoring in Zach LaVine, who will start at the wing but see a lot of touches as a pick and roll ball handler.
Yes, the Bulls have a playing time problem on their hands.
Chicago's solution would be to trade Ball, but that's impossible to do until February when Ball has (hopefully) rekindled his value after three months of play.
An alternative idea is to trade Dosunmu, which was recently proposed by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes in the form of a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Hughes suggested that the Bulls send Dosunmu to the Bucks for three-and-D wing Pat Connaughton and a 2031 first-round swap, imagining that the Giannis Antetokounmpo era in Milwaukee will have passed by 2031 (making that pick especially valuable).
Most of all, Hughes asserted that a Dosunmu trade for Chicago works right now because Dosunmu's value has peaked.
“The 24-year-old's market value may never be higher than it is right now,” Hughes said. “Coming off a career-high 12.2 points per game after seizing a starting role down the stretch of last season, Dosunmu is set to make just $7.0 million this season and $7.5 million in 2025-26 ahead of unrestricted free agency.”
“That salary is almost definitely too low for the Bulls to convince Dosunmu to extend off it, so it's highly likely he'll hit the market two summers from now. That long-term concern shouldn't apply to the title-chasing Bucks, who are all-in on making their current roster as dangerous as possible.”
“Dosunmu would be an upgrade over Pat Connaughton in the rotation, could spell Damian Lillard at the point and brings much more youth and athleticism than anyone else who figures to see the floor regularly in Milwaukee.”
Hughes makes some compelling points. The 2031 pick swap stuff is a bit of a stretch, but Connaughton would be a perfect fit on the Bulls, and Dosunmu's value indeed could not be higher at present.
Thinking about the latter, might the Bulls be able to get an even better return for Dosunmu in a different trade?
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