After sitting out the front end of the Chicago Bulls’ back-to-back, Ayo Dosunmu is expected to make his return on Wednesday night.

Dosunmu has not played since Dec. 23, 2024, and has missed the previous 10 games with a lower leg injury. Considering his lengthy absence, it’s anticipated that the Bulls will ease him back into things with a minutes restriction. The 24-year-old guard had finally settled into a nice rhythm to end 2024, averaging 14.0 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game over his 14 contests before injury. The Bulls also saw his three-point jumper come around during this stretch, as he shot 39.3 percent from long range. While Dosunmu will need to shake off some rust, the hope is he can pick up where he left off sooner rather than later.

To be sure, Dosunmu is still listed as questionable on the latest injury report, but he remains on track to play. Coby White and Lonzo Ball – who are also both questionable for tonight’s meeting with Atlanta – are a different story. White continues to work through a neck strain. This same injury caused him to miss the Bulls’ loss to Sacramento on Sunday afternoon. The fact he played through it on Tuesday night could bode well for his availability tonight, but it could also suggest that things flared up again.

As for Ball, despite his designation, we should expect him to be in street clothes. The Bulls have not allowed the veteran guard to play in back-to-back sets this season as an extra precaution. Considering he played nearly 25.0 minutes last night against the Pelicans, we can safely assume he will sit this one out.

The most impactful injury news comes from the opposite side of the court. Atlanta will head into this game without several key rotation players, including their Top 3 leading scorers. Trae Young has been ruled out with a rib injury, while Jalen Johnson will miss his fifth straight game with right shoulder inflammation. The Hawks have also ruled out De’Andre Hunter for the second straight game with foot soreness and Zacchaire Risacher with a left adductor injury. This will be the first missed game for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

For what it’s worth, these were the four top scorers for the Hawks in their one and only victory over the Bulls this season. Atlanta will now have to rely heavily on players like Bogdan Bogdanovic and Clint Capela to keep up with Chicago offensively. If the Bulls walk away with the victory tonight, they will clinch the season series and thus hold the tiebreaker advantage if the two finish with identical records.

Bulls-Hawks Injury Report

Bulls

Torrey Craig – OUT (ankle)
Coby White – QUESTIONABLE (neck)
Lonzo Ball – QUESTIONABLE (injury management)
Ayo Dosunmu – QUESTIONABLE (calf)

Hawks

Trae Young – OUT (rib)
Jalen Johnson – OUT (shoulder)
De’Andre Hunter – OUT (foot)
Zacchaire Risacher – OUT (adductor)
Larry Nance Jr. – OUT (hand)
Kobe Bufkin – OUT (Shoulder)