Chicago Bulls: 3 potential trade destinations for Kris Dunn

As the Utah Jazz cling onto the 8th seed in the Western Conference, they’re faced with a fundamental problem yet again. Each team ahead of them in the standings already possesses a franchise point guard. Whether that may be established superstars like Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook, and Damian Lillard, or perhaps building blocks such as Dejounte Murray or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, each true contender has that hole filled.

The Jazz are still far from a solution, as current point guard Ricky Rubio looks prepared to bolt in this summer’s free agency. That leaves the responsibility on the shoulders of Dante Exum, who has spent his career plagued with injuries and does not appear to have fully developed into an NBA-caliber starter yet.

Although the Jazz have a decent amount of cap room to maneuver in free agency, they’ll be significantly hampered by the point guards available. With Eric Bledsoe already locked up to an extension with Milwaukee and other free agents like Kemba Walker and Kyrie Irving looking for salaries outside what Utah is capable of offering, the Jazz are faced with a serious issue.

Enter Kris Dunn.

Dunn’s hard-nosed play might be a perfect remedy for this growing Jazz team. He has a higher field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, and takes fewer shots per game than Rubio.

That bodes well next to developing star Donovan Mitchell, who could use the extra spacing. Dunn also turns the ball over much less than Rubio while maintaining the same number of assists per game. Of course, it’s also worth mentioning Dunn’s calling card, as his defensive prowess outpaces Rubio in the steals and blocks department.

Dunn is an incremental upgrade in almost every regard, much cheaper, and he’s four years younger. He fits perfectly on Utah’s timeline, where he can grow next to Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Exum, and promising sophomore Royce O’Neale.

Exchanging a late first-round pick and a pair of end-of-the-bench players is a minimal price to pay for a former top 5 pick in Dunn. However, the Bulls must look to acquire any assets possible this summer, as Dunn no longer appears to be in the franchise’s long-term plans.

Grabbing a future first-round pick would be a welcome addition to Chicago’s vault of trade assets, who own all of their future picks for the next five years, save for two second-rounders. The Bulls also boast an excess amount of young talent, who could potentially be flipped for a top-tier player down the road if the stars align.

Although Raul Neto would likely be immediately waived, Tony Bradley would make a nice addition to this developing Bulls team. Only seeing the court for a total of 38 minutes in his injury-plagued career, the Jazz don’t have time to wait and hope he puts it all together. That fact is even more apparent when you consider defensive juggernaut Rudy Gobert is on the court for 32 minutes a night, therefore limiting Bradley’s chance to shine.

Grabbing a future pick and taking a flyer on a young big on a cheap team control for the next two years would be a sizeable haul for the Bulls. This move would open up the opportunity for fan-favorite Ryan Arcidiacono to return to the team, as well as allow the Bulls to turn their full attention towards finding a starting point guard in the draft or free agency.