If the New York Knicks are bent on trading for someone who can log backup point guard minutes, their search should lead them to the Chicago Bulls’ front door. Ayo Dosunmu would be their perfect addition.
New York is expected to make filling minutes behind Jalen Brunson a top priority ahead of the February 5 deadline, according to Ian Begley of SNY. This logic is…questionable.
The Knicks could use an offensive organizer other than Brunson, but they have an even more pressing need for help on the wings. Plus, Tyler Kolek at least deserves a slightly extended opportunity to prove he’s not the answer at backup point guard, particularly after the Landry Shamet injury.
This duality of rotation needs is precisely why Dosunmu would be an ideal acquisition. He checks both boxes.
Ayo Dosunmu is almost everything the Knicks need
Though Dosunmu is not a conventional floor general, he has gotten better over the years at putting defenses in rotation when operating out of the half-court. He is currently hitting over 55 percent of his shots out of drives, and this is now the third consecutive season in which he’s scoring at a decidedly above-average clip out of pick-and-rolls.
Granted, the pick-and-roll isn’t a huge part of the Knicks’ current offense. That’s ingrained into Mike Brown’s tenets. It’s also a byproduct of the personnel. Brunson is the only player made from lead-ball-handler material, and still averaging nearly 10 pick-and-roll possessions per game.
The point being, Dosunmu has enough experience on-ball to co-lead the offense with Mikal Bridges or Josh Hart in secondary units. And while he’s not the highest-volume shooter from deep, he doesn’t shrink the floor, either. He is north of 45 percent on threes this year, and was over 40 percent in 2023-24.
This offensive package is accompanied by understated defensive versatility. Dosunmu can help with the Knicks’ primary ball-containment issues, offloading some of the point-of-attack responsibilities ferried by Deuce McBride. But he has also shown the ability to scale up and guard wings.
Even though Chicago doesn’t liberally use him on bigger forwards as often anymore, he has already logged real reps this season against guys like Cade Cunningham. and Ausar Thompson. If Anunoby’s absence has taught the Knicks one thing, it’s that they need more players with the ability to do that.
New York should have the assets to land Dosunmu
Cobbling together a trade for Dosunmu is pretty straightforward relative to New York’s asset situation, Guerschon Yabusele (trade-eligible December 15), and one of their smaller salaried players, such as Kolek or Pacome Dadiet, takes care of the money.
It gets a little complicated thereafter.
Dosunmu’s impending free agency diminishes his market value to the Knicks, and any other team that wants him. He can be re-signed, but you’re not forking over first-round equity for him.
Good thing, too. Because the Knicks don’t have any. But they do have the Washington Wizards obligation that’s slated to turn into 2026 and 2027 seconds. That could get the Bulls to bite if they’re also getting a flier on one of New York’s youngsters.
Ideally, the Knicks would end up with someone bigger than Anunoby—someone who can alleviate the burden on a healthy Anunoby. Still, if it’s a backup point guard the team craves, Dosunmu is as close as you get to the best of both worlds as realistically possible.