Cody White better be ready to be a point guard.
If not the Bulls better have big plans on draft night to add to that position.
Sources confirmed on Monday night that both Kris Dunn and Shaquille Harrison will be allowed to test free agency, while former first-round pick Denzel Valentine was extended a qualifying offer to stay put.
Yes, Tomas Satoransky is still in the mix at that position behind White, but Satoransky’s long-term fit for the Bulls beyond this upcoming season is blurry at best.
What isn’t blurry is the Bulls believing that Dunn and Harrison – both defensive-minded guards – are expendable with the make-up of this roster.
Dunn is the major story, especially considering he was one of the major pieces in the 2017 Jimmy Butler trade with Minnesota. Along with Zach LaVine and the draft pick that ended up being Lauri Markkanen, Dunn came to the Bulls with high expectations that he never quite lived up to.
Injuries, as well as his offensive shortcomings, handcuffed Dunn from being a consistent play-maker, but he finally seemed to find his niche this past season.
Coming off the bench, Dunn made a case to earn all-defensive team honors, emerging as the best perimeter defender on the team. His best offensive season came under former coach Fred Hoiberg, when Dunn averaged 13.4 points and six assists per game in the 2017-18 campaign.
That was as good as it would get on that side of the ball, however.
Harrison was a favorite of former coach Jim Boylen’s, both versatile and tough-minded. Like Dunn, however, Harrison was better served on the defensive end.
As far as Valentine, shooters carry weight in the Association, especially one who is a career 36.6 percent from beyond the three-point line. Injuries and spending most of last season in Boylen’s doghouse derailed the 14th overall pick from the 2016 draft the last few seasons, but getting one more look at Valentine won’t cost the Bulls much at $4.7 million.
