Chicago Bulls: 3 players who must step up with Kris Dunn out for season

Lauri Markken, Wendell Carter Jr., Former Chicago Bulls Players (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Lauri Markken, Wendell Carter Jr., Former Chicago Bulls Players (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
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Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Another costly injury for the Chicago Bulls surfaced worse than originally expected with point guard Kris Dunn now apparently out for the season.

Some of the most devastating injury news to drop yet involving the Chicago Bulls was the announcement that point guard Kris Dunn could miss the rest of the regular season with a lingering knee injury. The Bulls could ill afford to lose point guard depth and the player that is single-handedly holding together this backcourt defense.

Dunn was originally hurt with what seemed like an MCL sprain early in the first quarter against the Toronto Raptors in a loss prior to the All-Star Break. His recovery timeline was initially unknown, but NBC Sports Chicago and Bulls reporter K.C. Johnson reported last weekend that Dunn could be out for the rest of the season.

However, the Bulls are going to need to find a way to replace the production, mostly on the defensive end of the floor, that Dunn provided over the course of his impressive 2019-20 campaign run. Prior to going down with this potentially season-ending knee injury, Dunn was averaging 7.3 points per game, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and registering a player efficiency rating of 12.2. He also had an outstanding 2.3 win shares on the season, which is good for a bench role player.

What’s even more disappointing for Dunn is the fact that he’s sitting in the midst of the final year of his rookie contract. He was well on his way to earning a nice contract this summer either from the Bulls or another suitor. But his price tag might drop a bit as his stock steadies out heading into the 2020 offseason.

Here’s a look at the three players who must step up in the wake of the season-ending MCL injury to Chicago Bulls point guard Kris Dunn.