The Bulls, already without three members of their starting lineup until the All-Star break, sustained another major hit to the rotation last weekend when guard Kris Dunn suffered an MCL sprain in his right knee.
On Tuesday, the Bulls confirmed Dunn’s diagnosis, announcing he will be out for at least two weeks while receiving physical therapy and immobilization before the team can provide a definitive timeline on his return.
Dunn suffered the injury on the first play Friday night in Brooklyn after taking a charge and colliding with teammate Thaddeus Young in the paint. He hobbled to the locker room under his own power, but even before Dunn had a chance to be examined Saturday in Chicago, the Bulls were gearing up for a period without one of their best perimeter defenders.
“The effect of Kris Dunn not being on the floor for us is on multiple levels,” coach Jim Boylen said. “He sat in the chair over there during practice (Tuesday) … he was shouting out stuff and coaching guys and helping guys. He has embraced that part of it, and it’s powerful for us. We miss it on the floor.”
Dunn suffered a similar injury during the 2018-19 season, when he missed 24 games with what the team called a moderate MCL sprain in his left knee. The severity of the latest sprain is unclear; the Bulls have 30 games remaining.
The injury comes at an inopportune time in Dunn’s career considering he will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks pointed out on Twitter, Dunn is six starts from reaching starter criteria, which would see his qualifying offer rise from $4.6 million to $7.1 million.
“I don’t talk to him about that,” Boylen said Sunday in Toronto about Dunn’s contract status. “We both come from the school of no nonsense. Control the things we can control. That will play itself out. I just want to let him know that we’re supporting him, care for him.
“He means more to this team than the impact he has on the floor. He’s great in the video room. He’s great on the practice floor. In the meal room, he has a group of guys he sits with and there’s always laughter coming from the table. Those things are important to a team. We’ll miss that.”