There was a time when Kevin Huerter was heralded as one of the better shooters in the NBA. Even his down seasons were better than most, and his baseline appeared to be a level of efficiency that in no way depended on his environment. It's likely a part of why he appealed to the Chicago Bulls.
In the midst of a second consecutive woefully inefficient season from beyond the arc, however, a question persists: What in the world happened to Huerter's jump shot?
Huerter shot 38.5 percent from beyond the arc as a rookie and maintained a percentage in that range from thereon out. In fact, he shot an identical 38.5 percent between his first five NBA seasons, with a peak of 40.2 percent in 2022-23 and a valley of 36.3 percent in 2020-21.
Huerter then shot 36.1 percent in 2023-24, which was an admitted decline, but still put him in the general range of efficiency from distance.
Unfortunately, the decline continued in 2024-25 when he shot 30.2 percent from distance in 45 games with the Sacramento Kings. Thankfully, Huerter looked more like himself again when he shot 37.6 percent in 26 games with the Bulls.
Just when it seemed like the mystery was solved, however, the 2025-26 season arrived. In 41 games, Huerter is shooting 31.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Bulls' Kevin Huerter has gone from efficient to abhorrent from 3
It's difficult to ignore the fact that, within the past two seasons, Huerter has produced two different stretches of 40-plus games during which he's shot 31.1 percent or worse from beyond the arc. One would hope that isn't the sign of a complete regression, but it's occurred within two alarmingly large sample sizes of appearances.
To make matters worse, Huerter has made just 27.8 percent of his threes over his past 18 appearances—and he wasn't much better at 33.6 percent during his first 23 in 2025-26.
It's possible that the torn labrum that Huerter endured in 2024 has impacted his shooting motion and thus forced him to adapt his game. The efficiency he displayed after being traded to the Bulls in 2024-25, however, seemingly implies he can still get back to the level of shooting proficiency he once claimed.
With an expiring contract and the Bulls toeing the .500 line yet again, however, the franchise must decide if Huerter fits what they from a wing.
Perhaps patience is the ideal path, as he's proven in the past that he can provide value as a floor-spacing wing who can score efficiently on two-point field goals. It's simply impossible to ignore how appealing an expiring $17,991,071 salary could be on the trade market.
If the Bulls are unable to help Huerter rediscover his jump shot in the little time they have left before the trade deadline, the only remaining conversation will be about future cap space versus immediate value.