Could the Bulls Bring Back Ayo Dosunmu After His History-Making Playoff Run?

As the Chicago Bulls stare at old photos and shed a single tear, Ayo Dosunmu is out and about living his best life.

The hometown hero and former Bulls second-round success story has only continued his ascent with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Dosunmu was already putting together a career year in Chicago, becoming one of the trade deadline's hottest targets in the process. Nevertheless, the Bulls' front office not only chose to trade him but proceeded to do so at a very questionable price. The Timberwolves gave up a mere four second-round picks, as well as two young players who rarely saw the floor.

It's the kind of trade the Timberwolves would do ten times out of ten, especially after watching Dosunmu go to work in only his second-ever postseason series. The guard had his first shining moment in Game 3, helping give Minnesota a 2-1 advantage in the series with a team-high 25-point performance off the bench. If that wasn't enough to rub some serious dirt in the Bulls' wound, however, his Game 4 showing sure did just that.

Dosunmu came off the bench on Saturday night and dropped a career-high 43 points on 13-17 shooting from the field. He was a perfect 5-5 from downtown and 12-12 from the charity stripe. The performance marked the highest-scoring effort for any player off the bench since 1976. He is also now only the fourth player in NBA history to record 40+ as a reserve in a playoff game.

Ayo Dosunmu of the @Timberwolves is the first player in NBA history with:

40+ points
75% FG shooting
5+ threes without a miss
10+ FT without a miss

...in any game (regular season or playoffs, off the bench or not). pic.twitter.com/IQmuVMfYRT
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) April 26, 2026

As Bulls fans know well, Dosunmu can be the ultimate Swiss Army knife. And this was on full display over his 42 minutes of work. He positioned himself perfectly for catch-and-shoot triples, sprinted ahead of the defense in transition for easy finishes, repeatedly penetrated the paint off the bounce to drain some slick floaters, and used his downhill speed to force whistle and whistle. With Anthony Edwards held to fewer than 18 minutes of action due to injury, it was exactly the performance Minnesota needed.

As if this wasn't the case already, it was also the kind of performance that will push Dosunmu's upcoming payday higher. Headed toward unrestricted free agency in a couple of months, the 26-year-old now looks like one of the league's best available talents. Again, this sure stings for a Bulls franchise that chose to show him the door in February ... but it also means they technically have a chance to right their recent wrong.

Could a New Front Office Bring Back Ayo Dosunmu?

Apr 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu (13) celebrates with fans after making a three-point shot against the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Let's be real, the Chicago Bulls were right to shop Ayo Dosunmu at the trade deadline. Most front offices in their shoes would have done the same due to the contract situation. With that said, the problem is that the Bulls chose to accept a trade return that felt lackluster the moment it happened. This is particularly true when we consider that they didn't need to move off Dosunmu.

Many believed for a while that it would be one or the other – Coby White or Ayo Dosunmu. While paying both after handing Josh Giddey a long-term deal didn't make much sense, the Bulls could have easily argued for keeping one around. And Dosunmu felt like the more obvious choice. He was playing his best ball and was still projected to sign for less at the time. Not to mention, as well as White fit next to Giddey as a catch-and-shoot threat, Dosunmu provided more two-way versatility.

In other words, it's not hard to imagine a world where Dosunmu still fits with Chicago long-term. He knows how to play with Giddey, and he clearly knows how to play winning basketball. Even if a new front office wants to take a more patient approach, Dosunmu feels like the kind of no-nonsense player you would want in the locker room. Plus, he has demonstrated this year that there remains a lot more to his game.

Money isn't an obstacle for the Bulls, who are projected to have over $60.0 million in cap space, which could prove to be more than any team in the league. Even if Dosunmu's asking price has now crept toward the $20.0 million a year mark, a new Bulls front office would still be able to get that deal done and have plenty of room left over to strategically transform the roster. They could still target a high-upside restricted free agent or choose to acquire some bad contracts in exchange for future assets.

Conversely, the Timberwolves capsheet is tight. Thanks to the large contracts for Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Julius Randle (all owed $33+ million), Minnesota has to be very careful about their tax situation. Could they still bring Dosunmu back and avoid the second apron? Yes, but making other changes could prove difficult.

Let's also not fail to consider who is speculated to be the frontrunner in the Bulls' front office search at the moment. Many believe the opening could be Matt Lloyd's to lose. As the current No. 2 behind Tim Connelly in Minnesota, one has to imagine he played a key role in acquiring Dosunmu at this most recent trade deadline. So not only may he already be a big fan, but he's now seeing firsthand how impactful Dosunmu can be in a postseason environment.

Nonetheless, the key question will be whether or not Dosunmu wants to return. Unless it was specifically requested, getting traded is never a fun feeling. No one would blame him for having a sour taste in his mouth. At the same time, the people who decided to move him are no longer in the building. The Bulls are about to have completely new management and find themselves in a completely new situation.

There is also something to be said about hometown roots. Dosunmu's connection to the city only grew during his time with the Bulls, particularly when we factor in all his community work. Likewise, his strong bond with Matas Buzelis was well documented over the last couple of years.

A handful of competitive teams are bound to dial Dosunmu's number, which will shrink the Bulls' chances of re-signing him. He is also currently getting a real feel for playoff success, so giving that up for an unrecognized situation with his old team could be tough. As we all know, though, money talks. And it's at least worth mentioning that Dosunmu didn't fully shut the door on the idea of reuniting in a recent conversation with Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.

The long-time Bulls beat reporter spoke with Dosunmu in Minnesota. While the guard admitted that he would give the Timberwolves a chance to bring him back, he also said everything could be on the table:

“This is what free agency is all about, sitting down and talking to teams, so I wouldn’t rule out no team. But that’s down the road," Dosunmu told Cowley.

Look, it's rare that this kind of reunion ever comes to fruition. The most likely scenario is that both sides continue to go their separate ways and Dosunmu remains another big "what if" for the franchise. Having said that, if there was any situation where coming back together felt plausible, this would be the one.

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