1. Denzel Valentine
Make no mistake — Denzel Valentine still probably has the ability to be a quality role player in the league. However, his ankle injury was neglected at first last season and ended up requiring surgery that left him out indefinitely.
Now, he faces the distinct possibility of missing even more time after not playing a single game last season. According to Darnell Mayberry of the Athletic, Valentine has still not been cleared for five-on-five contact in full scrimmages yet.
This is particularly concerning for the former 2016 AP Player of the Year, who will be entering the final year of his rookie-scale contract in the upcoming season. Valentine is quickly running out of chances to impress the Bulls organization and warrant a roster spot moving forward.
The Chicago Bulls’ rotation now boasts an exorbitant nine guards (if you count Adam Mokoka, who recently signed a two-way contract with Chicago), so playing time will be hard to come by. Valentine formerly displayed the ability to play a bit of small forward; however, for a guy who already struggled with athleticism and lateral movement, this injury doesn’t bode well for Valentine’s ability to survive on defense at the wing.
In the 2017-18 campaign, he proved to have a few valuable traits that will age well and potentially keep him in the league for years to come. Shooting 38.6 percent from deep and assisting on 17 percent of all baskets scored when he was on the court leave Valentine projecting as a sharpshooting secondary playmaker off the bench.
The Bulls seem intent on unleashing the young core in a run-and-gun style offense next season, and Valentine just doesn’t fit into that picture. It makes sense to ship him off to a contender that needs a little extra three-point shooting instead of allowing his rookie contract to expire and get nothing in return.