2016 NBA Draft: Kris Dunn

According to the Chicago Tribune, there’s an interest from the Bulls organization in potential top-5 pick Kris Dunn from Providence College. Here’s a look at Dunn and what the Bulls would also have to do to either draft (or trade for) Dunn next month.

Throughout this year’s NBA draft process, you’re going to hear the names Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram quite often. According to many with draft knowledge, those will the be the consensus top two picks in June’s draft.

Here’s the curious situation presenting itself: what’s the rest of the board going to look like when Simmons and Ingram are gone?

This is where you can insert Providence guard Kris Dunn into the fray.

The NBA’s draft lottery is still nine days away, but there’s a good possibility that Dunn could help round out the first five picks. (DraftExpress currently has Dunn as their No. 5 pick in their most recent mock draft.)

More from Bulls News

• The dream starting 5 for the Chicago Bulls 5 years from now
• Bulls’ Ayo Dosunmu inspires the future with new school program
• Chicago Bulls NBA 2K24 full roster ratings, risers, and fallers
• Bulls sign a pair of promising guards to Exhibit 10 contracts
• When does NBA Training Camp start? Dates Bulls fans need to know

The Big East Conference hasn’t gotten the same respect it’s received in year’s past with some universities departing, but it did provide this year’s national champions (Villanova) and the player of the year in that conference was none other than Kris Dunn.

Dunn became the first player in Big East history since Notre Dame’s Troy Murphy (1999-01) to win back-to-back Big East POY awards and rightfully so.

A 6’4″ floor general (with a 6’9″ wingspan, according to DX’s measurements from the 2015 Nike Skills Academy) with the ability to light any net on fire and provide a presence defensively as a lead guard has Dunn virtually a lock to be selected inside the first 10 picks next month.

In his junior season*, Dunn averaged 16.4 points, 6.2 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game on 44.8 percent shooting for the Friars, who advanced to the Round of 32 in this year’s NCAA Tournament. He improved his three-point shooting from his sophomore year (35.1 percent) to his junior year (37.2 percent) and only three other players in Division-I basketball averaged more steals per game than Dunn did in 2015-16 (2.55/game).

More bulls: 2016 NBA Draft: Michigan State's Deyonta Davis

(* = Dunn was granted a medical redshirt for the 2013-14 season because of a second shoulder surgery following one to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder before his freshman season could begin.)

The interesting thing with Dunn is he will certainly have suitors and that includes the Chicago Bulls.

From K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune:

"Last year, the Bulls were fully prepared to select a point guard from a draft deep at that position before Bobby Portis unexpectedly dropped to them at No. 22. This year’s draft isn’t as deep at point guard. If the Bulls don’t trade up, one player sources say intrigues them — Providence combo guard Kris Dunn — certainly would be gone at No. 14."

You might hear a few Russell Westbrook comparisons with Dunn entering the draft. When it comes to Oklahoma City’s fireball of a point guard, you’ll take the bad with the good because he’s just that good. That’s the same case with Dunn. The attitude isn’t an issue with Dunn, but turnovers and inconsistent shooting are.

This past season alone, Dunn turned the ball over almost four times a game. To be completely fair, outside of Providence’s other draft prospect Ben Bentil, not many could create off the dribble or hit from the perimeter, so in terms of help on the offensive end, there wasn’t much for Dunn.

More bulls: 2016 NBA Draft: Notre Dame guard Demetrius Jackson

Another issue with Dunn was his two-point shooting. Yeah, the mid-range jumper shot is becoming extinct in today’s NBA, but it’s still a key component of a guard’s game when he picks and chooses the right spots. Dunn shot just 47.7 percent this past season inside the arc (because of his need to produce for Providence and a ridiculous 28 percent usage percentage the last two years), but according to DX and Synergy Sports, Dunn shot 58.1 percent at the basket in the half-court.

The lack of tough competition will probably also be brought up when it comes to evaluations of Dunn. But, in a November matchup with fellow draft prospect (and someone I personally have on the Bulls draft board) Denzel Valentine, Dunn chipped in 21 points to go along with seven assists and five rebounds.

If the Bulls are serious about acquiring Dunn, there’s a few things that will have to happen:

• They’re likely going to have to find a potential trade partner of someone inside at least the top six picks (just to be safe).
• If they find that partner, they’re going to have to give up something for that pick. (They’ll likely swap picks from their projected 14th spot, but a player or two could be involved as well.)
• The Bulls front office should seriously sit down and consider this option. They did the same thing with Doug McDermott in the 2014 draft and although McDermott’s shooting came along great this season, he hasn’t been the prolific guy the Bulls traded two first-round picks to acquire.

Next: 2016 NBA Draft: Kentucky point guard Tyler Ulis

Trading up is always a dangerous move, but to be completely fair, Kris Dunn has the potential to be a dangerous NBA player. As mentioned before, Dunn was asked to basically do it all (especially on offense) at Providence and at the next level and with his size and athleticism, he could be worth taking a chance on when draft night rolls around.