The Chicago Bulls May Have Just Found Their Solution At Point Guard Ahead Of The Trade Deadline

With just over 48 hours until the 2022-23′ season’s trade deadline passes, the Chicago Bulls may have stumbled upon their second-half point guard solution right at the buzzer. After several weeks of circling rumors around the team and Shams confirming the team was adamant about finding a point guard, one unexpected candidate may have just earned the role for the remainder of the year and beyond.

Although chances were slim to begin with, the Kyrie Irving ship has sailed to Dallas, the Russell Westbrook deal has fallen through with the Bulls confirming Zach LaVine will not be moved, so now Chicago must turn elsewhere to find their desired point guard. Last night may have confirmed who they’ll commit to or, at the least, provided hope and optimism for the position’s future.

Bulls Can’t Catch A Break

Coming into the season, the Bulls knew they were without Lonzo Ball, who assumed the point guard position for much of the 2021-22′ campaign. Many were frustrated that Chicago’s best attempt at bringing in a replacement was the veteran Goran Dragic, who did not supply the same skill set and was not fit to be a starter at this stage of his career.

It was known that the Bulls were said to try a ‘point guard by committee’ with Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White, Alex Caruso, and Dragic until Ball’s originally scheduled return around the start of 2023. Things have since been derailed in both the security of the point guard position for Chicago and Ball’s now-unknown return date.

Hometown Kid

Amid the swirling rumors and the dwindling team spirit following a rough first 50 games, one second-year guard has recently emerged as a leader on and off the court.

Later that night, Dosunmu put his words to action, leading the team in scoring with 22 points on 9-for-10 shooting from the field in a victory over the Hornets where none of DeRozan, LaVine, or Vucevic surpassed 18 points. The former Illini point guard has stayed just as hot for the next two games.

While three games are too small of a sample size to confidently say he’ll be the starting point guard that Chicago has been lacking all year, it is an excellent sign of things to come. In only his second season at 23 years old, Dosunmu is showing signs of improvement that could prove to earn the spot for seasons to come. Having already started more games than in his rookie campaign a year ago, he’s continuing to improve with more opportunities and “urgency,” as he calls it. After a miraculous buzzer-beater earlier this season, he had this to say about the adversity of being benched just one night prior.

“Last night, I didn’t play the minutes I ideally want to being a competitor. But I can’t take that out on my teammates. I continue to cheer for them, continue to tell them what I saw. And then I knew that whenever my time did come, I’d be ready. That’s just my mentality.”

Ayo Dosunmu following buzzer-beater to beat the Atlanta Hawks

There’s a lot more stability to be proven, but the signs this week from a young blossoming point guard might give AK and the front office the impression they don’t need to bring in a point guard as urgently as previously stated just days before the trade deadline.

Do you think Dosunmu has what it takes to facilitate and be the point guard this team needs to make a playoff run, or should the Bulls still be shopping for someone before Thursday’s cutoff?