Kris Dunn open to playing for Boston Celtics, discusses draft workout strategy

http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2016/06/2016_nba_draft_news_kris_dunn.html



Kris Dunn open to playing for Boston Celtics, discusses draft workout strategy




Kris Dunn (3) is expected to be a high lottery pick in next week's NBA Draft. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)



Jay King | mjking@masslive.com By Jay King | mjking@masslive.com



on June 16, 2016 at 10:30 AM, updated June 16, 2016 at 10:40 AM




BOSTON -- As quiet as any other lottery prospect throughout the NBA Draft workout season, former Providence point guard Kris Dunn said he is still open to auditioning for teams over the next week if the right situation comes along.

During a phone interview Thursday morning, Dunn stressed the desire to showcase his skills against other top players, but did not rule out undergoing an individual workout as the draft draws closer. Earlier this week, ESPN's Chad Ford reported that Dunn has yet to work out for any specific teams and is "refusing" to do 1-on-0 workouts for clubs.

"Me and my agent are just trying to figure out what we should do with the workouts," Dunn told MassLive.com. "We still have enough time to work out for teams. Really we're just trying to open up requests to other players to see who will come work out against me because I'm trying to show I can play both ends of the floor. Because I'm a competitor. But it's been really fun so far. The process, I've been enjoying it."

"I'm open to anything," said Dunn. "I don't think that's true that I don't want to work out 1-on-0. Like I said, I just want to show off my competitive nature. I definitely don't have a problem working out with Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram, or any top prospects, because I want to show teams I'm ready to go against anybody. And it'd be cool to play against top-five or top-10 guys because I just want to show off my competitive nature, and I didn't get to play against those guys in college because I was in the Big East and they're in different conferences. So I'm just open to anything right now."

Addressing another predraft rumor, Dunn said he is open to playing for "any team." After the draft combine, The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Dunn's camp could withhold his medical information from lottery teams with established point guards, like the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns. Such a move wouldn't necessarily keep the Celtics or Suns from drafting Dunn -- as Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge said recently, "We know Kris Dunn pretty well" -- but could make the decision to take him a bit more difficult.

"(The presence of a top point guard) really doesn't bother me," Dunn said. "I'm willing to play for any team. Right now I'm just in the process of enjoying it, enjoying everything. It's been a dream of mine to be drafted. The fact that I have a chance to go lottery is exciting. It's exciting for me and my family. Any team that selects me, I'll go in and work hard. That's the only thing I can do. And then any great point guard that's there, I would love to play with them so they can give me knowledge on how to become as good as a point guard that's out there."

In a separate interview with the Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach, Dunn added, "I mean it would be unbelievable to be selected by the Celtics. "My dream is just to get drafted, and that I have a chance to be a top-five player, it's a blessing."

The main reason why the medical information could be important: Dunn has had shoulder issues in the past. He said he believes those are behind him.

"I would like to think so," he said, crediting the Providence training staff. "I haven't felt anything since those two mishaps my early years of college. So right now I'd have to say I'm 100 percent."

Since the college season ended, Dunn said he has spent two months in California where he works out with former NBA player Don MacLean.

"Just trying to put a lot of different things in my game," said Dunn, who was promoting the Speed Stick project Speedman. "Always trying to keep that defense ... I think that's my greatest strength, guarding multiple guards through the workouts in California that's coming in, whether that's NBA (players) or the college guards that we had. ... Really, ball-handling, trying to keep that good decision-making. We've been watching a lot of film, me and Don, just trying to pick my brain to see why I made that decision. And I think shooting's the key. I feel like if I come in and show people I can shoot right away, it brings a dynamic to my game that opens the floor even more."

Whatever team drafts Dunn, he wants to know "that they have confidence in me, that they understand that I'm coming in and trying to work hard, and trying to improve the team the best way I can."

"I want to make an impact," he said. "Hopefully whatever team that selects me allows me to go out there and play, play my game, and allows me to learn on the fly, but also understands there's things that I need to learn off the court, that I'm open to any advice that the coaching staff gives me, or that the older players give me. But at the same time, I think for me the best way for me to learn is going out there and playing."



bob



.

Dunn's quotes in this article are a radical change from what was written about his decisions previously.

I wonder if he has changed his mind or what was said earlier about his decision not to work out for teams was incorrectly reported. It would certainly seem to help him if he were to work out for teams before the draft, in my opinion.

Of course it would be unbelievable.  He would be the 3rd selection and that mean more dough.

Funny though he is listed as a Junior on the ESPN site but played 4 years in college.  

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/61804/kris-dunn

If the Celtics were in need of a PG he would definitely be the player I would want them to draft.

dboss

In French that's "moi." In Greek it's "ego."

Perhaps word is out or at least word is out with his handlers that Danny will be trading a guard and a slot will be open for him. Again, Danny loves defensive minded players the caliber of Dunn.

Think Avery Bradley.

112288

Dunn shoots 2's at .477, 3's at.372 and fritos at.665. Is he a good enough shooter/player to replace Isaiah or shooter/defender to displace Avery or Marcus? He's 6'3' in shoes. Is this what we really need going forward? Then there's Rozier. More duplication of skill sets.

We need shooters but if you add one and get rid of another you still need shooters.

Here is a question.

Can DA keep his core of 7 to 8 players and still bring about measurable improvement?

Does he have to add one or two veteran Allstar quality players and can he do that through free agency?

Thus far the rebuild has been surprisingly productive.

At some point Boston must draft a player that will become great.  That is not easy to do unless you are in the top third of the draft or you have a keen eye for identifying a potential star that is not a top pick.

Dboss

dboss wrote:Of course it would be unbelievable.  He would be the 3rd selection and that mean more dough.

Funny though he is listed as a Junior on the ESPN site but played 4 years in college.  

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/61804/kris-dunn

If the Celtics were in need of a PG he would definitely be the player I would want them to draft.

dboss

He only played 4 games his sophomore year before red-shirting, so he's a red-shirt junior who had one year of eligibility remaining. 

The different between last year's 3rd pick (Okafor) and 6th pick (Cauley Stein) over their 4 year rookie deals is 20.5 million vs. 15.5 million. So yeah, the kid probably woke up and realized his comments might have cost him the chance at 25% more income in the form of 5 million dollars the next 4 years. 

All 3 teams picking 3rd-5th have an established veteran PG signed for 2 or more years. Boston has Thomas, Phoenix has two (Bledsoe and Knight) and Minnesota has Rubio. Boston and Minnesota also have combo-guard types Dunn's age in Smart and LaVine. So no matter where he went in that range playing time would be no guarantee. The Pelicans have Jrue Holiday, but he is only signed for one more year and has averaged 46 games played per season during his 3 year stint in New Orleans, so Dunn would have a pretty good shot of supplanting him, although like I mentioned, at a 5 million paycut over trying to supplant Smart and make the Celtics trade him (or Thomas).

Ram,

Great point of noting the $5 M difference in salary over the course of a rookie deal between getting drafted third and getting drafted 6th. Certainly would open my eyes if I was looking for work.

Ram, you should be Dunn's agent and pocket 10%.

worcester wrote:Ram, you should be Dunn's agent and pocket 10%.

Ha, that'd be fun.

If I was an NBA player I wouldn't bother having an agent. Ray Allen didn't. Jaylen Brown is apparently not doing so either. 
'
Why give one guy (or his giant agency) 4-8% of your contract and 10-20% of your endorsement deal when you can just put a handful of advisers, accounts and lawyers on retainer and pay them like 10-30k a year?

Spoken like a smart player. Satch Sanders must be advising you.

Ram wrote:

worcester wrote:Ram, you should be Dunn's agent and pocket 10%.

Ha, that'd be fun.

If I was an NBA player I wouldn't bother having an agent. Ray Allen didn't. Jaylen Brown is apparently not doing so either. 
'
Why give one guy (or his giant agency) 4-8% of your contract and 10-20% of your endorsement deal when you can just put a handful of advisers, accounts and lawyers on retainer and pay them like 10-30k a year?

ram,

Danny Ainge didn't either, as a player.

It makes no sense to me for a rookie that is absolutely going to be drafted in the 1st round like Dunn. Their contracts are fixed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement. There is nothing to negotiate.


bob


.

Sneaker contracts.