Chicago Bulls point guard Kris Dunn becomes a restricted free agent this offseason once the Bulls offer him his qualifying offer worth $7,091,457.
Assuming the Bulls extend that qualifying offer, Dunn will have the opportunity to meet with other teams and sign offer sheets if he chooses to. Then, the Bulls would have 48 hours to match an offer sheet or lose the rugged defender.
The Bulls have Tomáš Satoranský, Coby White and Ryan Arcidiacono on the roster. The team also has the fourth overall pick in the 2020 draft and could draft another playmaking guard.
With that being said, don't be surprised if the Bulls actually don't extend their qualifying offer to Dunn. If that happens, Dunn would become an unrestricted free agent and free to sign with any team of his choice without giving the Bulls an option to match a deal.
Assuming the Bulls let Kris Dunn walk in free agency, here are three ideal spots for him to land.
1. Knicks
The New York Knicks need all the defensive help they can get and Dunn is one of the best defenders at his position in the NBA.
The Knicks are also coached by Tom Thibodeau, who coached Dunn for one season on the Minnesota Timberwolves. Even though Thibodeau traded Dunn to the Bulls in the Jimmy Butler trade, Thibs always had great things to say about the 26-year-old, so there shouldn't be any hard feelings there.
With the Bulls in 2019-20, Dunn averaged 2.0 steals per game in 24.9 minutes a night. He's not that talented of a scorer, but the Knicks already have a scoring point guard on the roster in Dennis Smith Jr. Thibodeau loves guys who compete on the defensive end of the floor and Dunn fits that bill, so don't be surprised if the Knicks and Dunn have mutual interest in getting a deal done.
2. Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks need a solid guy to back up All-Star point guard Trae Young. Dunn could be that player who comes into the game and brings energy with his defense. He's a pest on that end of the floor and the Hawks need all the defensive help they can get.
Before the 2019-20 season was suspended in March due to COVID-19, the Hawks were giving up 119.7 points per game. That was last in the NBA, so Dunn is a player Atlanta should certainly target in free agency.
Opponents' offensive rating against the Bulls increased by 6.2 points when Dunn went to the bench for Chicago in 2019-20. While his offensive game needs a lot of work, there is no denying that Dunn is an impactful player on the defensive end of the floor and the Hawks need a bevy of those type of guys alongside Young since the talented floor general is a subpar defender.
3. Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers have been linked to Dunn for a while now. Dunn, whose 2019-20 season with the Bulls ended early due to an MCL injury, isn't the scoring point guard the Clippers need next to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
However, the Clippers were exposed by the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 2020 playoffs on the defensive end of the floor, particularly in the pick-and-roll game.
Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell couldn't stop Nuggets stars Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic in the pick-and-roll. As a result, the Clippers blew a 3-1 series lead to the Nuggets in the second round at Walt Disney World and lost in Game 7.
New Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue could use a defensive specialist like Dunn on his team. Both Patrick Beverley and Dunn are really feisty defenders and the Clippers clearly need more tough players after choking against the Nuggets.
In 2019-20, Dunn averaged 7.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for the Bulls while shooting 44.4 percent from the field, 25.9 percent from beyond the arc and 74.1 percent from the free-throw line. Those aren't numbers that will warrant a lot of money in free agency, especially since the NBA salary cap will most likely decrease.
With that being said, it's going to be interesting to see where Dunn lands this offseason. The Bulls could always shock pundits and bring him back, but the prevailing thought is that Chicago will move on from Dunn since the team is under new leadership in the front office.
Kris Dunn has career NBA averages of 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 227 games with the Timberwolves and Bulls. He'll never be a scorer or All-Star, but defense does win championships in the NBA and every team needs a defensive ace and stopper like Dunn.
Follow Us
Subscribe