Fan favorite Chicago Bulls reserve guard Ayo Dosunmu is healthy enough to rejoin his hometown team for its second matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers in three days, this time in Cleveland. Tip-off is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT.
Ayo Dosunmu Coming Back!
Per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network, Ayo Dosunmu and fellow backcourt backup Tre Jones will be limited to 24 minutes of action on Friday night.
Ayo Dosunmu and Tre Jones are in vs. Cavs, per Donovan. Both on minutes restriction of 24
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) December 19, 2025The 6-foot-4 University of Illinois product has been unavailable for the past three games with a pair of thumb sprains. Jones had been considered merely probable to play heading into the contest with a hamstring injury. Backup center Zach Collins, the team’s best rim-protecting center, will suit up through a lingering wrist issue.
For the first time this season, Johnson notes, Chicago will have absolutely everyone available — this side of injured rookie lottery pick Noa Essengue. The 6-foot-8 Frenchman is done for the year thanks to a shoulder surgery, but he hadn’t been a part of head coach Billy Donovan’s rotations anyway.
Ayo Dosunmu, 25, has been averaging 15.2 points on .519/.475/.857 shooting splits, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 dimes, and 0.6 steals through his 20 healthy games for the 11-15 Bulls.
All-Star Cleveland shooting guard Donovan Mitchell and Craig Porter Jr. have been ruled out for the contest with what is believed to be the same undisclosed illness, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Rookie point guard Tyrese Proctor is expected to earn his first NBA start with Mitchell shelved.
With #Cavs Donovan Mitchell OUT tonight because of an illness and Craig Porter Jr. apparently catching the same bug I’m hearing it’s likely that rookie Tyrese Proctor makes his first career start t.co/4gTLI1ENpW
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) December 19, 2025They’ll join All-Star Cleveland big man Evan Mobley, plus wings Sam Merrill and Max Strus on the club’s lengthening injury report.
Dosunmu, one of the Bulls’ best defensive guards, will be a critical return piece for the club, even in limited minutes. He’ll certainly be a name to watch in trade talks this season, as he’s an excellent two-way reserve on a very reasonable expiring $7 million contract, and it’s fairly unclear what the Bulls’ appetite will be for re-signing him to the kind of money he’ll deserve next summer.
In a shockingly lopsided 127-111 Chicago victory Wednesday, Donovan’s fast-breaking offensive attack ultimately broke a semi-disengaged Cavaliers club.
Although Cleveland was expected to emerge as an NBA Finals contender in a weakened Eastern Conference this season, the 15-13 team has instead looked wholly out of sorts this season.
The Cavaliers’ Rough Season Start
Part of that can be chalked up to some of these health issues affecting lineups, perhaps, but it also feels like the Cavaliers’ multi-year lineup experiment of pairing Mitchell with All-Star guard Darius Garland and Mobley with one-time All-Star center Jarrett Allen may just not quite fit. There’s a lot of skill overlap, and it may come to pass that a divorce via trade(s) is the best way through. Unfortunately, Garland and Allen have particularly low value on the market these days.
Matt Marton-Imagn ImagesGarland is off to a rough start this year. The 25-year-old has only been healthy for 12 games, and has been averaging an underwhelming 15.4 points on a dismal slash line of .363/295/.870, along with 6.4 dishes and 3.1 boards.
It’s not enough for a two-time All-Star and his team’s second-most important creator.
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