Chicago Bulls guard Denzel Valentine has fallen out of the good graces of head coach Jim Boylen and has been out of the Bulls rotation since the calendar turned 2020. With the way things are going, it's looking more and more like Valentine is no longer part of Chicago's plans for the future.
Rumors suggest, per Joe Cowley of Chicago Sun Times, that the Bulls would jump at the opportunity to trade Valentine right before the February deadline if the right deal presents itself.
What Valentine won’t do yet is demand a trade. He will be a restricted free agent this summer, and sources have indicated the Bulls don’t see him in their future. If they could package him in a trade by the deadline next month, they would jump at the opportunity.
While he acknowledged that his benching is out of his control, the Bulls guard explicitly expressed his displeasure of being in Boylen's doghouse.
‘‘I’m definitely not happy about it,’’ Valentine said Saturday. ‘‘I’m a competitor. I want to play, I want to be productive, I want to help the team win. But that’s out of my control, so I’m not about to let it make [me] not happy every day.’’
Nevertheless, Valentine is taking it one day at a time and doesn't take his opportunity to play in the NBA for granted.
‘‘I’ve just got to take it a day at a time,’’ Valentine said. ‘‘I can’t try and think about the future and worry about the future because you never know what’s going to happen. If I get moved or if I stay here . . . I’m happy I’m in the NBA, living my dream.’’
The Bulls drafted Valentine with the 14th pick in the 2016 NBA draft. His role increased in his sophomore season, as his minutes jumped to roughly 27 minutes per game, while starting in 37 of his 77 appearances in the 2017-18 season.
Follow Us
Subscribe