Denzel Valentine, SG/SF
The numbers that the former Michigan State Spartan and 27-year-old 6-foot-4 and 220 pound shooting guard/wing Denzel Valentine has put up this season aren’t better than his prior four with the Bulls. Karnisovas and Eversley went out on a whim last offseason to re-sign Valentine out of restricted free agency, giving him a one-year deal worth just south of $5 million.
That means that Valentine is set to hit unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career this offseason. And while the Bulls could likely bring him back on another minimum contract, it would be a better move to free up the space in the wing rotation. Valentine is nice to have as a creator and facilitator in transition.
There are just too many boneheaded plays that Valentine makes on both ends of the floor to make it worth it to bring him back as a primary or tertiary ball handler in this rotation. Valentine had decent numbers through the first half of the regular season, but very much cooled down in post-All-Star Break.
In a season where Valentine got a plethora of playing time compared to years past, he’s only averaged 6.5 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.1 blocks. And he’s shot 37.3 percent from the field, 32.8 percent from beyond the arc, and 94.1 percent from the free-throw line.
Valentine’s numbers with LaVine as a two-man combination aren’t all that bad on offense. But they’re not out on the floor all that much together. The defensive numbers aren’t good at all, and the numbers when LaVine and Valentine feed each other aren’t up to par.