Sometimes, it can take even the most talented NBA lottery picks a few years to find themselves in the league. Atlanta Hawks point guard Kris Dunn is still holding out hope that he can stick in the league after being a top-five selection in the 2016 NBA Draft.
While he may not ever reach the type of star status once predicted, he can still be a valuable rotational guard for a good NBA team. With the number of starters missing time this regular season due to the pandemic and safety protocols, it is possible that Dunn will be forced to play significant minutes at some point in the next several months.
Kris Dunn – Early Life
Kristofer Michael Dunn was born in New London, Connecticut on March 18, 1994. Not surprisingly, he’s a legend in his hometown, and folks from New London know what type of impact he had in the community. Even before Dunn made it to the NBA, he would consistently give back to boys and girls basketball teams in the neighborhood, so they would have the best opportunity to succeed.
Dunn played at New London high school from 2008 to 2012 and was honored for his tremendous career by having his jersey hung in the rafters of the gym.
If certain things had not happened, Dunn may have never become the star he developed into in Connecticut. He spent some of his childhood in Virginia before his father returned him to the place of his birth. Dunn showed a lot of loyalty to the neighborhood by not electing to play his high school basketball at a more renowned program.
Kris Dunn – College Breakout
Luckily for Dunn, he would bounce back in a huge way in his junior year. He not only played in 33 games that campaign but averaged over 15 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and well over two steals per game. His breakout performance came in a game against DePaul, where he posted 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. He was named Big East Player Of The Year that year. After such a successful third season in Providence, many figured that the reigning Big East Player Of The Year would take his talents to the NBA.
However, he decided to play out his senior year in college, and some felt like Dunn missed an opportunity to cash in immediately. Considering how well he played in his final college campaign, and the fact that he won Big East Player of The Year again, his choice appeared to be the right one. His offensive game improved as a shooter and was still a menace on the defensive end against opposing guards.
Kris Dunn – Minnesota Timberwolves
Heading into the 2016 NBA Draft, Dunn was one of the most highly touted prospects. His first team in the NBA would be getting a young player who was committed to being the best he possibly could be on both ends of the floor, which is not often the case for rookies. The Timberwolves decided to bring the former Friars’ guard to their organization.
Rather than unleashing the promising prospect, Minnesota decided to take a measured approach with the guard, who only started seven games in his rookie season. Dunn played in 78 games total, however, largely with other guards like Zach LaVine, Ricky Rubio, and Tyus Jones. It wasn’t really enough of a sample size to determine whether the former Providence point guard could be a long-term solution in the NBA. He recorded 16 assists in the final game of his rookie season, which eclipsed his previous season-high of nine assists.
Kris Dunn – Chicago Bulls
Even though it appeared as he landed in a great situation with a great defensive-minded coach like Tom Thibodeau, Dunn with his first team in the NBA for very long. The team decided to make a trade to help them become competitive more quickly, acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Bulls in exchange for Dunn, LaVine, and Lauri Markkanen. Dunn would end up spending three formative years in Chicago on teams that were largely not competitive but did some good things during his time in the Windy City.
He was a decent facilitator, averaging six assists per game in each of his first two seasons with the Bulls. His trademark defense showed up as well, averaging two steals per game in his first and third years in Chicago, and a solid 1.5 in his second campaign. Health also played a factor in Dunn’s time with his second team in the league, as a knee injury ended his final season with the Bulls prematurely.
Kris Dunn – Atlanta Hawks
After an injury-filled season, it would have been nice for Dunn to have a player option in his contract, but all the leverage was in Chicago’s court. They decided not to extend a qualifying offer to him, making him a free agent. Before the 2020 season got underway in December 2020, the
Atlanta Hawks decided to bring him in as a low-risk flier for his defensive game, and insurance for budding superstar Trae Young. Unfortunately for Dunn, his 2020-2021 season with Atlanta only saw him appear in just four games during the regular year, and the injury bug continued to bite him on his new team. However, he did appear in nine total games in the playoffs for Atlanta.
Kris Dunn – Moving Forward
Since Memphis parted ways with Dunn, he has yet to find another team to latch on with. One would think that his services might be needed before the current NBA year is completed, with many players having to miss games due to the league’s health and safety protocols.
One team that could use some additional guard depth now is the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have lost guards Ricky Rubio and Collin Sexton for the rest of the year. A second team that could potentially use his services is the New York Knicks, who have continued to adjust their guard rotation for much of the season. 2022, and the upcoming offseason, will be critical for Dunn’s professional future.
Who did the Celtics trade for Kris Dunn?
He has bounced around a lot in the last few months, which has put his future into question. In July, the Hawks traded him to the Boston Celtics for Tristan Thompson.
He was not with the Celtics very long, as in September, they flipped Dunn and fellow guard Carsen Edwards to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Juan Hernangomez. The former Providence guard spent training camp with Memphis but was ultimately waived before the regular season started. His run of bad injury luck continued, as he actually had to miss a preseason game with the Grizzlies due to a dental procedure.
What college did Kris Dunn go to?
Continuing on with his unique basketball journey, Dunn forwent a chance to attend perennial basketball powerhouse in the University of Connecticut, and remain in his home state for another few years. Instead, he elected to attend Providence College in Rhode Island, which was an interesting choice for the point guard.
Head coach Ed Cooley wasted no time thrusting his prized recruit into the rotation, as Dunn averaged over 27 minutes per game in his freshman year. He didn’t exactly light up the stat sheet in year one, averaging only just over three assists per game that season.
Dunn’s sophomore year basically ended before it could get off of the ground. A nagging shoulder injury cost the talented point guard all but four games of his second season in college, which raised more question marks about the player he could ultimately become.
