Getty Chauncey Billups
Former Chicago Bulls point guard Kris Dunn has found a new home–at least for the next 10 days. The Portland Trail Blazers signed Dunn to a 10-day hardship deal, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski after Anfernee Simons went down with an injury that will keep him out up to two weeks. The Blazers have been without Damian Lillard most of the season as well.
The Trail Blazers are signing guard Kris Dunn to a 10-day hardship deal, sources tell ESPN. Dunn gives the Blazers some backcourt depth with Anfernee Simons out 1-to-2 weeks.
Kris Dunn’s Journey
Dunn, who is still just 27 years old, hasn’t played in the NBA this season. He signed with the Atlanta Hawks on a one-year deal back in 2020. However, Dunn played just 4 games for the Hawks last season.
This offseason, Dunn was traded twice in a little over a month. In August 2021, he was a part of a three-team trade. The Hawks sent him, Bruno Fernando and a 2023 second-round pick to the Boston Celtics. The Celtics traded Tristan Thompson to the Sacramento Kings and the Kings dealt Delon Wright to the Hawks.
In September 2021, the Celtics moved Dunn, Carsen Edwards and a 2026 second round pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for Juan Hernangomez.
The following month and just before the start of the 2021-22 season, the Grizzlies waived Dunn. This year, Dunn has been playing for the G-League’s Agua Caliente Clippers.
In 28 games, he is averaging 11.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Dunn’s erratic long-range shooting is still his Achilles’ heel. In the G-League, he is making just 25.8 percent of his long-range attempts. Dunn’s signature on-ball defense is still in full effect. He has averaged 1.6 steals per contest in just 26.4 minutes of action per game.
It would appear the Blazers want a player who is going to defend opposing point guards with physicality while also making some plays in transition. Dunn can still do those things, but it doesn’t appear as though he has fixed the shooting woes that limited him during his first season with the Minnesota Timberwolves or his next three campaigns with the Bulls.
Bulls Injury Updates
Slowly, but surely, it appears the Chicago Bulls are getting healthier. Alex Caruso made his triumphant return to the lineup on Saturday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Caruso scored 11 points in the win.
Unfortunately, Zach LaVine missed the game with some knee soreness, but the team nor the star guard seem overly concerned. The Bulls mentioned LaVine’s knee would have to be managed throughout the season, and it appears his absence from the Cavaliers game was an example of that process.
The Bulls are back in action on Monday when they head west to take on the Sacramento Kings. The hope is that LaVine will be able to play and that the Bulls will also welcome Patrick Williams back to the lineup.
The second-year forward hasn’t played since the fifth game of the season when he injured his wrist. If Williams can return, along with LaVine, the Bulls would be close to whole with only Lonzo Ball still missing from the core group Chicago hoped to take into battle each night and into the playoffs.
Ball’s return may not come to later in the month, which is just before the start of the postseason. Currently, the Bulls are clinging to the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference, trying to maintain home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Bulls fans must remember, the team’s rotation when healthy is as followed:
- PG -Lonzo Ball
- SG – Zach LaVine
- SF – DeMar DeRozan
- PF – Patrick Williams
- C – Nikola Vucevic
- Bench – Alex Caruso
- Bench – Ayo Dosunmu
- Bench – Tristan Thompson
- Bench – Coby White
- Bench – Javonte Green
- Bench – Derrick Jones Jr.
- Bench – Tony Bradley
That’s not too shabby.
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