The Bulls will have to make decisions on three young players, including two 2016 lottery draft picks, when those players become eligible for restricted free agency during the 2020 offseason. Whether or not retaining Kris Dunn, Denzel Valentine, and Shaquille Harrison makes sense for Chicago’s new front office is up for some debate, per NBC Sports Chicago’s Rob Schaefer.
Though the 26-year-old Dunn (the No. 5 pick out of Providence in 2016) is a strong defender, his awful shooting will limit his usefulness for the Bulls. Schaefer anticipates that Dunn will play out the 2020/21 season on his $7.1MM qualifying offer for the 2020/21 season without reaching a longer-term deal with the club.
Schaefer also expects Harrison to play out his significantly smaller minimum-salary qualifying offer. Schaefer is less optimistic about the Bulls keeping injury-prone Valentine (the No. 14 pick out of Michigan State in 2016), who has appeared in just 170 of 311 possible games across his four-year Bulls tenure.
There is more out of the Central Division:
- For the underwhelming Pistons, a healthy Blake Griffin could fetch a better return on the trade market than center Andre Drummond was able to this season, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN details the ramifications of Pacers guard Victor Oladipo‘s decision to opt out of the NBA’s Orlando season restart. Aaron Holiday looks to absorb most of Oladipo’s minutes, and Pelton anticipates the point guard will start in the backcourt alongside Malcolm Brogdon. Brogdon recently tested positive for COVID-19, but he expects to join the team in Orlando once he recovers.
- During the NBA’s season pause, the team with the best record employed creative outside-the-box thinking to stay active, per Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Nickel details the 53-12 Bucks‘ intriguing practices. “It’s been weird,” All-Star Khris Middleton told reporters in a conference call today. “Usually we’re all encouraging each other, talking to each other, joking around with one another, playing music.”
Offense only Drummond?? That’s a dumb statement. He’s best rebounder in the NBA. Means no second shots. One of best things about a Big who plays D. Is his rebounding. They gave away Drummond. It’s true. Healthy Griffin can get them value. Specially with OKC. They love him there. Trading Rose and sign n trade with Knicks. For Woods will get them gd value. Pistons always liked Nttilikina. Can sign Woods for 3yrs 30 mill. Starting at 8 mill. Frank is only 22. He probably do a lot better in smaller market. Knicks are going after Woods. I can just see that. Pistons have Bird rights. So this way they get something.
Bull should move on from Dunn. He’s not worth the money. This draft they can probably get Anthony.
Big lumbering guys like Drummond are quickly becoming obsolete in the modern NBA. I would be curious to see Shaq in his prime trying to compete in 2020, he wouldn’t be nearly as dominant as he was 15-20 years ago.
Speaking of Shaq… Cavs should go after Harrison, or any of that three or Gafford.
Yeah… all these little guys would hold him scoreless… him, Wilt, and Lew Alcindor.
Sheesh.
#sarcasm
Shaq would not be guarding Shaq or any center, not his job, but the Cavs could use any of those, and could get them maybe without giving up picks. The goal would be contagious defensive effort and some organization to the offense by triggering the O and switching to the 3 on D.
Not sure what new Bulls GM Karnivalos thinks, or if he moves with any quickness, or how to spell his name. Cavs GM Altman is willing to try things.
You do know Alcindor played 4 yrs in college. Freshman weren’t allowed to play varsity ball. In three yrs on varsity team hen won 3 championships. His ROY stats are 43.1 mins, 38.8 pts, 14.5 reb,
4.1 ast. What do you think his stats are if he plays 4yrs (18-21) in NBA. That small talk is BS. The highest FG % is down low. You understand this right. A real Center like Jokic today, Can play inside outside. You do know inside outside ball. With more shooters. It opens the paint even more. So a real center will do more damage. Yes you can run him. But that only works so much. Cause a real rim protector. Which a real center is. Means you play better rim protection. A real Center is still the most dominant force in basketball today. Why you think Bron is dominant. It’s cause he is bigger and stronger that those who play his position. He’s too strong for SFs. To athletic for PFs. Yet he is Karl Malone size. Warriors have their run. Cause they are best two way team of their generation. Plus they are smart. Yes shooting is their strength. But they wi cause they are a TEAM. Wilt Chamberlain today would avg 40 a game lols.
Not sure if you were responding to me or not… hopefully you weren’t because you read the word #sarcasm at the end of my comment.
No just all who think. Small ball is new. Or that shooters have changed the game. Shooting has changed no doubt. There are more now. Really about open looks. But it will never replace the Dominant Big. Just another weapon. That’s all
To guys like Wilt, Shaq, and LewAlcindor, the game has always been small balll, for the most part. Typically, nobody has been bigger than them. Now, you’re talkin about putting even smaller guys on them??? That’d be laughable.
Just trying to imagine Draymond guarding either one of those guys. LOL!
Who’s Johnson? I thought the author was Schaefer.
Harrison is so low-cost it is certain the Bulls keep him around as a late-game pest. Valentine is gone, and very likely Dunn as well, since 7 mil is a bit much for another one-way player on a team already full of them.
I don’t follow college basketball closely, so I may very time well be wrong about this. It seems unlikely that a team would use a #5-overall pick on a player who ho was an “awful” shooter, no matter yer how good he was on defense. I have to think that Dunn has somehow lost his shot, or he plays in an offense that requires him the take shots out of his range or contrary to his strengths. If that’s right, isn’t it reasonable to think that professional coaching would help him regain his shot or develop additional shot-making skills? If not, then maybe he was just overrated after all.
You think by now. Dunn would be working on his shot. I thought he was legit as high pick. Just not there. Not all lottery picks develop into starters. But Dunn has good size. He has the handle. If he could just run team and shoot 40%. He can be a solid piece in rotation. Rondo in not a good shooter. He is great D player and ast guy. You have to wonder why teams wouldn’t build their strengths. Instead of talking down their weaknesses.