The Chicago Bulls are coming off a 122-121 win over the Toronto Raptors. All 10 Bulls who entered the game scored at least six points in the victory. Six of the 10 players scored in double-digits, including three off the bench.
Nikola Vucevic led the way, dropping 24 points upon a return from an illness. Coby White added 19, and Talen Horton-Tucker led all bench scorers, tallying 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Only three Bulls, Torrey Craig, Jevon Carter, and Chris Duarte, failed to see the floor.
Of the three DNP-CDs, Duarte has received the least playing time this year, seeing the court in only 12 contests for a total of 50 minutes. Duarte has averaged 2.4 points and 1.2 rebounds per game while converting 9-of-18 field goals and 5-of-12 three-pointers in limited action. Subsequently, it was announced that the 27-year-old wing would be sent to Chicago's G-League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, ahead of the G-League Showcase.
Duarte sent to the Windy City Bulls two days before G-League Showcase
Roster Update: Chris Duarte has been assigned to the@WindyCityBulls. pic.twitter.com/TMckdkjUVs
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 17, 2024
Sending Duarte to the G-League allows for the 6-foot-6 wing to revive some of the value he's lost over the past few seasons. Duarte averaged 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while knocking down 36.9 percent of his triples as a rookie. As a 24-year-old rookie, it was expected that Duarte would immediately contribute, and that sentiment rang true.
However, after earning All-Rookie status, the Oregon Duck product's play declined in year two. Duarte averaged just 7.9 points following a return to action after a toe injury ended his rookie season. The former Indiana Pacer shot an abysmal 36.9 percent from the floor and 31.6 percent from three in his sophomore season.
Fast forward to the summer of 2023, and Duarte was sent from Indiana to Sacramento in exchange for a pair of second-rounders. Duarte's efficiency improved slightly, but his playing time continued to decrease. The former first-round pick participated in 59 games, albeit for only 12.2 minutes per contest in a reserve role. Duarte finished last season with an average of 3.9 points.
Following yet another disappointing campaign, Duarte was sent to Chicago in the sign-and-trade that sent DeMar DeRozan to Sacramento. Chicago appeared to be a good landing spot for the former lottery pick—a rebuilding squad that just traded its best defender and allowed its leading scorer to walk in free agency.
However, the grass isn't always greener. Duarte has failed to crack Billy Donovan's guard-heavy rotation. He's notably behind White, Lonzo Ball. Ayo Dosunmu, Josh Giddey, Talen Horton-Tucker, Zach LaVine, Julian Phillips, and Dalen Terry. It'd seemingly take a plethora of injuries or a future trade for Duarte to see the floor. Being sent to the G-League allows Duarte to showcase the plug-and-play potential that saw him drafted in the lottery only three years ago.