Playoff Envy, MIP Announced Tonight, Coby & Ayo’s Contracts, and Other Bulls Bullets

After watching the Knicks hit back-to-back 3-pointers to steal the lead and Jamal Murray nail a nasty game-winning mid-range buzzer-beater, I was reminded of how special playoff basketball can be.

Of course, I was also reminded of how we haven’t had a moment like that at the United Center in nearly a decade. Get it together, Chicago Bulls!

  • I know it’s only Game 2 of a Round 1 series, but add this to a long list of memorable playoff snapshots.
  • https://twitter.com/Stadium/status/1782630696231563729

  • The NBA will start to announce end-of-season awards tonight on TNT. First on the list will be the league’s Most Improved Player, which means we could be in store for a Coby White national TV appearance! Tyrese Maxey was considered the betting favorite as the regular season finished up, but White’s name has very much remained a part of the conversation. I’m crossing my fingers for him.
  • Ayo Dosunmu took to Instagram to show his backcourt bro some love. Going to be crazy when the Chicago Bulls win back-to-back MIP awards! You’re up next, Ayo!
  • https://twitter.com/BN_Bulls/status/1782448454549008657

  • In all seriousness, I don’t think anybody should be surprised if Dosunmu finds himself a part of the MIP discussion next season. He took a pretty significant leap this year, and I have to imagine the Chicago Bulls’ retooling of this roster will open the door for only more opportunities moving forward. Dosunmu finished the season averaging 12.2 points and 3.2 assists on 50.1 percent shooting from the field and 40.2 percent shooting from downtown. The career-high 3-point shot was arguably the most encouraging to see, especially considering he did it on a career-high 295 attempts (3.9 per game). His previous career high was in 2022-23 when he shot 189 attempts from long range.
  • Dosunmu only got better as the year went on, averaging 16.3 points on even higher efficiency over the last 38 games of the regular season. While he’s always shown promise as a transition scorer, we saw a switch flip halfway through this year in the halfcourt. He did a much better job navigating screens and using his first step to maneuver his way to the rim. Dosunmu isn’t by any means the most jaw-dropping athlete, but he has pretty tremendous body control to go along with great length. He’s now understanding how to use that to attack more off the dribble. I’m excited for next year.
  • Coby White celebrated with Ayo Dosunmu of the Chicago Bulls
    © Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

  • Let’s also not forget the contracts that both Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu signed. White is on a three-year deal worth $36.0 million, while Dosunmu is making just $21.0 million over three seasons. The front office got ridiculously lucky that free agency came up for each of them last summer. If they were up for a new deal right now, that dollar amount would be skyrocketing and the Bulls could be at risk of losing one of them.
  • Speaking of contracts, the Chicago Bulls reportedly offered DeRozan a new deal, but the veteran forward turned it down for now. Does that mean he wants to see what else is out there or does he want a more long-term commitment? More here …
  • Adama Sanogo deserves at least a taste of more NBA minutes next season. We wrote more about his strong season – and the end-of-season awards he earned – last week.
  • Make Stacey King an assistant coach, Billy! The locker room can use some hot sauce!
  • Was last night one of the best random playoff nights we’ve had in a long time? Three AWESOME games across sports!
  • The closer and closer we get to Thursday, the more excited I am.
  • written by

    Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

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