LOSER: Kris Dunn
Last night was not great for Kris Dunn and there’s simply no way around it; the Bulls are moving on from the idea that he’s a starting point. While Paxson stated that, “ still view Dunn as a good player,” it’s clear they view him better suited for a role on the second team.
Once considered a key part of the Bulls rebuild and coming over in part of the Jimmy Butler trade as the No. 5 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Dunn has failed to impress in his first three NBA seasons. Instead, he’ll likely have to establish himself as a defensive stalwart off the bench.
Eventually, Kris Dunn might be someone’s starting point guard. He’s got a lot of talent and when he’s on, he’s a very good player. With just one year left on his rookie deal and his team adding another point guard with the seventh pick in the draft, it’s unlikely that place is in Chicago.
In a best-case scenario, Dunn takes well to a role on the bench and provides the Bulls with a solid second guard option. He’s not a great shooter, but if Dunn can hit a few jump shots and play lock-up defense in lesser minutes, his free agency value could be much higher.
Maybe I’m arguing that Dunn might try to model himself after Boston’s Marcus Smart, who’s found success as the team’s glue man off the bench.
Unfortunately for Dunn, whose value is continuing to take a hit, he’s not likely to command too much money in free agency with a repeat performance of his 2018-2019 campaign.