Chicago Bulls: Dotson, Dosunmu could complicate guard rotation

An emerging storyline from the Chicago Bulls summer league opener has to do with the play of Devon Dotson who put up 16 points, seven rebounds, and four assists against the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.

With Coby White sidelined for another four months (at least) as he recovers from shoulder surgery, there is an opportunity for the Chicago Bulls’ young guards to find a significant role on the bench behind Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine. If his play in the summer league keeps up, Devon Dotson could push Coby White and rookie Ayo Dosunmu for minutes in the Chicago Bulls guard rotation.

Devon Dotson was a consensus second-team All American in 2020 who went undrafted in last year’s draft and spent all of last season quietly developing on the bench and on the Bull’s G-league affiliate.

In the summer league opener, Dotson’s experience showed. He had a clear command of the offense and genuinely surprised me. Between the offseason acquisitions and the drafting of Ayo, I figured Dotson might get lost in the fold but his play in the summer league could change things, especially if he can prove he’s a more reliable rotation piece than Dosunmu or White.

Regarding Ayo, I thought he had a good debut despite the box score showing the contrary. I liked how he moved around the court, his rebounding, and his general aggressiveness when he had the ball.

However, he is not guaranteed a significant role in the rotation because this Bulls team is extremely deep at the guard spot – especially if Dotson continues to consistently play at this level. With continued improvement and consistent play, Ayo Dosunmu and Devon Dotson could eliminate Coby White’s spot on the team during his absence early on this season.

The Chicago Bulls have three young, promising guards in Dosunmu, White, and Dotson.

It’s no secret that Arturas Karnisovas is on a mission to eliminate everything remotely resembling the GarPax regime not named Zach LaVine. Coby White’s name was rumored to be linked in trades going back to last season’s trade deadline. My guess is the lack of reliable scoring options and weaker guard depth on the Bulls stopped Karnisovas from making a deal involving White.

This is where Ayo and Dotson could potentially spell trouble for White if they both continue developing throughout this summer and the first third of the season while Coby rehabs from surgery.

Coby White’s biggest issue so far into his young career is defense and taking care of the basketball. If Dosunmu and Dotson show Karnisovas that they are defensive competitors who won’t turn the basketball over, it could lead him to strike a deal for White midseason. Furthermore, Coby White has shown he can score points in bunches and given his age, definitely has trade value.

If Dotson and Dosunmu play well, it would not surprise me if the Bulls do in fact trade White this upcoming season – perhaps even for a heavily protected first-round pick. Though, I must reiterate that the operative word here is “if.” Devon Dotson and Ayo Dosunmu have to continue to play well this summer and into the season for this scenario to become a reality because otherwise, there is really no reason to trade White.

Regardless of how the futures of the Chicago Bulls’ three young guards pans out, Devon Dotson’s development in year two has potentially created yet another storyline to keep track of throughout the remainder of the Bulls’ summer league play.