The Chicago Bulls have been dealing with guard injuries for the past few seasons. Lonzo Ball’s knee injury from three seasons ago was seen as nearly impossible to return from, yet he overcame the odds and has seen time for the Bulls this season. Another younger guard has been dealing with an injury as of late, and Chicago is still waiting to hear any bit of positive rehab news from it.
The Chicago Bulls received a negative injury update on Ayo Dosunmu
Julia Poe from the Chicago Tribune wrote on Wednesday that the latest injury update from Dosunmu was not an ideal one for the Bulls.
“The Bulls might have to fare without Ayo Dosunmu for an even longer stretch than expected,” Poe reports. “The guard initially suffered a calf strain in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 23 and has been unable to progress to full-speed sprints after a 10-day rest period.”
The whole “unable to progress to full-speed sprints” can easily remind Chicago fans of Ball’s horrific recovery from his knee injury a few seasons ago. Poe went on to add that Dosunmu made an attempt to run, but it did not go well.
“Dosunmu ramped up to sprinting on a treadmill over the weekend but reported discomfort when attempting to reach full speed,” coach Billy Donovan said. “He will not attempt another ramp-up until next week. This means that the Bulls could play at least five more games without Dosunmu, who has been a crucial defensive anchor and secondary point guard option this season.”
Guard depth is something that the Bulls have prided themselves on over the past few seasons. Grabbing Dosunmu in the second round of the 2021 draft was seen by many as a steal and the time and he has only continued to produce when given the chance to do so.
Ayo Dosunmu could be a trade deadline piece for the Chicago Bulls if he can get healthy
With Chicago looking to potentially sell at the deadline, Poe writes that the young backcourt piece could be among the names floated across the league in trade rumors.
“In addition to his contributions on the court, Dosunmu is a key trade asset for the Bulls as they approach a crucial selling season ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline. While he might not be the center of a trade offer, the Bulls could utilize Dosunmu’s considerable upside and favorable contract to sweeten a deal.”
Through 30 games this season, Dosunmu is averaging 12.6 points per game while shooting 49% from the field. The secondary floor general is also averaging 3.9 rebounds per contest and 4.8 assists per game. His season-high in points came when he dropped 27 on 9/13 shooting from the field on the road against San Antonio on Dec. 5.
Losing a player like Dosunmu would be hard for the Bulls to swallow due to multiple factors. The 24-year-old was born and raised in Chicago, having attended Morgan Park High School. He spent his college career at the University of Illinois, so plenty of Bulls fans got used to watching Dosunmu play in college. The fan favorite aspect of the young guard walking out the door in February would be tough, but his consistent contributions on the floor when healthy would make it difficult for the front office as well.
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