Kris Dunn came to the Utah Jazz with his NBA career running on fumes. By the time he left, he got the biggest contract he's ever had in his NBA career. While it was clear he deserved to be in the NBA, it's not like he was in high demand, which is odd knowing how solid he looked with the Jazz.
Dunn is in the first year of a three-year, $18 million contract with the Clippers. Given how high the NBA's salary cap is and will continue to grow, it's fair to say Dunn is getting paid below fair market value, especially given how well he's started with the Clippers.
Although it has only been eight games as of November 7, Dunn looks every bit like the connector that contending teams have been looking for. It's not like he's taken any sort of dramatic step forward compared to his Jazz days, but he is proving himself useful on a team that's keeping its head above water when many thought they'd go through the season from hell knowing what they lost.
Kris Dunn doing Kris Dunn things in Los Angeles 🥲pic.twitter.com/tXNLdZEyz4
— Jazz Lead (@JazzLead) October 24, 2024
In short, he's turning into a 3&D guard that winning teams want in their rotation. He's not the same caliber, but he fits the same mold as a Derrick White- and Alex Caruso-type. The best way to explain this is that, per NBA.com, he's shooting 45.5% from three in nearly three three-point attempts a game. The only reason he's not shooting more is that he averaged a tick under 22 minutes a game.
For the record, that's not a new development, as Dunn was a valued floor-spacer in Utah. However, his defense has also shown itself in the best way LA, and not just on the game film. When Dunn takes the floor, the Clippers allow 96 points per 100 possessions when he's on the floor, compared to 117.2 points per 100 possessions when he's off, per NBA.com.
To put a cherry on top, there seems to be a strong demand for Dunn to play even more.
I think Kris Dunn should continue coming off the bench but he needs to get to 25+ minutes per game just about every night
— Robert Flom (@RichHomieFlom) November 7, 2024
And keep in mind, the Clippers are paying him only six million dollars. It's too late for Dunn to live up to the billing as the No. 5 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, but he has salvaged his NBA career well enough to not have to be a journeyman anymore.
The Clippers won't contend anytime soon unless Kawhi Leonard comes back with a clean bill of health, but they're doing just fine without him. While Dunn isn't the main reason for them surviving what's typically been a death blow to the season, his role in their somewhat success is undeniable.
So that only leaves one question.
Where was everyone else when Kris Dunn was obtainable?
Dunn had been available for some time, dating back to before the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline. He had proven his value high enough that a playoff team could have, at the very least, given him a roster spot. It's not like the Jazz planned to keep him long-term, but no one bit on the opportunity.
What did Utah get for him in the end? Russell Westbrook, a second-round pick swap, and some cash. And now he looks easily like one of the best bargain additions in free agency, and that sentiment may grow stronger as the season only continues.
In light of that, it's hard not to look at the struggles that teams like the Bucks, Sixers, and Lakers, among others, have gone through and think, "What stopped you from acquiring Kris Dunn?" He may not be a star, but his skillset covers so much ground that contenders need.
It may not be too late for one to push for Dunn, but that would only be on the grounds that the Clippers are packing it in. They are fresh out of assets and owe pretty much their entire future to the Thunder, so don't count on that to happen. At least not anytime soon.
It seems weird that Dunn could have been a gamechanger for a team trying to win. Now contenders are only now realizing how good he is only for it to be potentially too late to get him.