The former Illini All-America selection has reportedly signed a multi-year contract with the hometown franchise that drafted him in the second round in 2021.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

July 21, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Matt Marton/USA Today Sports)

Ayo Dosunmu has reached the second contract phase of his professional basketball career.

The former first-team All-America selection from Illinois and former five-star product from Chicago’s Morgan Park High School has reportedly signed a three-year contract worth $21 million to remain with the Chicago Bulls. ESPN senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report this transaction Friday afternoon.

Dosunmu, who averaged 8.6 points, 2.6 assists, 2.2 rebounds while shooting 31.2 percent from three-point range in his second NBA season that included 51 starts, entered this offseason as a restricted free agent. According to the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, Dosunmu’s contract specified that he and the Bulls organization essentially had three options this summer: 1) Agree to a new multi-year contract; 2) Attempt to find a new franchise willing to sign him to a multi-year offer sheet leaving the Bulls with the option to match or the freedom to leave without any compensation; 3) Return to the Bulls on a one-year contract for $5 million.

Dosunmu has started in 91 of the 157 career games for the Bulls and was a second-team choice for the All-NBA Rookie Team.

Dosunmu’s task now is to find consistent playing time on a 2023-24 Chicago roster that currently includes perimeter talent such as Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, Derrick Jones Jr., Coby White and Jevon Carter. Multiple news outlets reported the Bulls were awarded a $10.2 million disabled player exception because of the season-ending knee injury to veteran point guard Lonzo Ball.

Dosunmu led the Illini to a No. 1 seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament and was the 2021 USA Today National Player of the Year, Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year along with being a Consensus First-Team All-America selection. Dosunmu averaged 20.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists in that 2020-21 season, becoming the first NCAA player in 11 years to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and five assists. His No. 11 Illini jersey was honored by having it raised to the State Farm Center’s rafters to be among the program’s elite on Jan. 6, 2022.