The Chicago Bulls Are Using A Bold Strategy In Order To Scare Kris Dunn

[Chicago Sun Times] - But multiple sources told the Sun-Times last week that the Bulls’ coaching staff and front office have been less than impressed with Dunn’s work habits so far in the offseason, a far cry from the player they acquired from the Timberwolves in the deal for Jimmy Butler on draft night 2017.

Dunn was a workout warrior last offseason, but the sources said he has been ‘‘shortcutting’’ his way through May and early June enough that the idea of the Bulls selecting a point guard in the NBA Draft on June 21 is back in play.

There are a couple of different ways to look at this report from Joe Crowley in the Chicago Sun Times. First, the Bulls are open to drafting a point guard – most notably Trae Young – in the NBA Draft. Personally, I think Young fits in really well with the Bulls. You can hide him defensively with Kris Dunn, he’s a floor spacer and an underrated passer that will be around some talent.

Obviously, that could be startling for Bulls fans and most notably Kris Dunn. When the Bulls traded Jimmy Butler last year, they were able to get back a backcourt that consisted of Dunn and Zach LaVine. Both younger players that had upside, but question marks. LaVine was coming off a major injury while people questioned just how good Dunn is. Dunn had a strong season, but still isn’t necessarily viewed as a must-have starter at 24 years old. Putting him and Young together makes some sense there.

On the other side, this could just be a scare tactic by the Bulls. There’s a good chance Young isn’t available at seven, especially with the Hawks and Magic being realistic chances to land him. That means they will have to roll with Dunn for another year – they aren’t going to draft Collin Sexton with Dunn already there. The Bulls had a talk with LaVine last year during the season about his work ethic, that changed. The same could be going on with Dunn.

Advertisement

Either way, this isn’t a bad thing for the Bulls. They either get Young to pair with Lauri going forward or they draft another wing – Porter/Miles Bridges/Mikal Bridges to pair with a rejuvenated Dunn and Lauri. They still can bring back LaVine who will be a restricted free agent as well.