On Sunday, the shorthanded Chicago Bulls lost 127-112 to the Indiana Pacers in front of 17,028 fans at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Bulls were without Nikola Vucevic (calf), Patrick Williams (platelet rich plasma), and Ayo Dosunmu (shoulder) against the Pacers.
Chicago announced they were shutting down Dosunmu for the season hours before they played Indiana and two days after the shooting guard returned to the lineup to give the team 11 points, five rebounds, and two assists in 23 minutes in a 125-115 win over the Toronto Raptors.
Why the Chicago Bulls shut Ayo Dosunmu down
Per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, the Bulls chose to shut Dosunmu down for a few reasons. Chicago hopes he will return for the start of the 2025-26 season.
“After additional evaluation from training and medical professionals, Dosunmu and the Bulls opted for surgery now in part because Dosunmu would have bounced in and out of the lineup managing discomfort,” Mayberry wrote. “Additionally, with a long recovery expected following surgery, the goal is to have Dosunmu healthy in time for the start of next season.”
At 25, Dosunmu ended his season averaging 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in 30.3 minutes. The No. 38 pick in the 2021 draft had a solid season and could be a key player on a rebuilding team next season.
Hoping for a better 2025-26 season
When making the decision to end Dosunmu’s season, head coach Billy Donovan said Chicago wanted to ensure the young player could get “whole” during the offseason. The Bulls weren’t sure how much the former Illinois Illini standout would play anyway for the remainder of the year.
“That was part of it,” Donovan said. “The other part was even if you do get him back, and he feels good and he’s out there, you just don’t know when it’s going to happen again. It’s almost like it’s inevitable he has to have the surgery. Why put it off and try to get through 20 to 22 games here where he may be in, he may be out?
“Inevitably, you’re going to wait until the end of the season and then have him go do surgery anyway. Why not just do it now and expedite maybe a month and a half off the recovery, where he gets that back in the offseason to kind of get himself whole?”
Dalen Terry got the start for Chicago in place of Dosunmu against the Pacers, scoring two points and adding one rebound and one assist. Trey Jones and Jevon Carter will also have a larger role going forward.
The Bulls hope to have Williams and Vucevic return soon. However, the team would be wise to consider shutting their season down.
This would allow the Bulls to put themselves in better draft position, evaluate young talent, and protect Williams and Vucevic for potential trades this summer.
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