3 Bulls players Toronto Raptors must watch as selling rumors swirl

The Toronto Raptors might be viewed as sellers when the trade deadline comes around, as it seems unlikely both Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby will be given long-term deals. However, a move for a win-now piece can’t be ruled out, especially if the Chicago Bulls keep losing.

The Bulls have fallen to 3-6 to start the 2023-24 season, as the three-headed monster of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic don’t seem to be amounting to much of anything. Billy Donovan and Arturas Karnisovas seem to be dangerously close to a reset.

Brian Windhorst reported that teams across the league are watching the Bulls with a great deal of interest, assuming that players like LaVine and DeRozan could be traded away as part of a more significant restructuring. The Raptors might be able to pick up a difference-maker as a result of this hypothetical downturn.

While the Raptors don’t have the assets or the financial flexibility to acquire one of Chicago’s stars, they could be at the front of the pack for some of their less-heralded players. These 3 Bulls could give the Raptors the boost they need to improve their short-term prospects and long-term outlook.

3 Chicago Bulls players the Toronto Raptors could trade for.

3. Ayo Dosunmu

The Raptors were chasing Dosunmu hard in the offseason before he ultimately chose to return to Chicago. The Raptors have very specific “types” of players they look for when trying to acquire talent, and Dosunmu’s skillset lends perfectly to what Masai Ujiri often wants from his guards.

Dosunmu averaged 8.7 points and 2.9 assists per game while making over half his shots in his first two seasons with the Bulls, but he has been reduced from a key bench producer to a mop-up reserve who clearly has been demoted. Despite his multi-year contract, Chicago is running out of use for him.

The Toronto Raptors could look at Ayo Dosunmu.

Dosunmu’s shooting isn’t amazing, but he would still be worth developing in that area. With his defensive tenacity, finishing inside the arc, and playmaking (when utilized like someone with his passing skills), the former Illinois star is impressive enough for Ujiri to roll the dice on him.

While Malachi Flynn has been much better in the last few weeks, he certainly isn’t in a position to assume that he’s got playing time locked down. Dosunmu won’t come for cheap, but getting him in a trade could take the guesswork out of signing another guard in free agency.