The Bulls Just Made A Decision On Dalen Terry's Future

Drafted 18th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, Dalen Terry's outlook was filling the void at Chicago's point guard position. Terry was a lengthy, explosive defensive specialist who made a minimal impact in his rookie campaign. He only appeared in 38 games, averaging just 5.6 minutes while scoring two points per outing on 44.4% shooting overall and 25.9% from three-point land. Last year's sophomore season was a definite step forward. In his 59 games, including his first two NBA starting nods, he doubled his rebounds, assists, and minutes per game while slightly improving his scoring output. Terry has been in a tough spot, never finding a consistent role in the lineup. There was a stretch of seven games where he averaged less than four minutes per outing, coupled with a different stretch when he saw over 20 minutes over four consecutive games. Where do Billy Donovan and Arturas Karnisovas see his future with the Bulls?

Earning His Court Time

After averaging 14 minutes per game in the 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament, Karnisovas and the front office have decided to invest in their 22-year-old guard long-term. Per The Athletic's Darnell Mayberry, Dalen Terry's fourth-year option has been picked up by Chicago, tying him to the franchise through the 2026-27 season. This decision has to be mainly in the spirit of keeping the youth movement alive because Terry has proven very little to this point that would create the necessity for keeping him around. If his three-point shooting and playmaking skills do not improve over the next several seasons, at an extension of only $7.6 million for that final year, it would not be surprising if the Bulls cut ties with the former Arizona Wildcat.

Playing Time Just Got Even Harder To Find

Although Terry just saw nearly double the amount of minutes in his second season in the NBA, he may have already peaked in that department. Now he'll have to adjust to the return of Zach LaVine, the addition of Josh Giddey, and the emergency of Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, who will all four be awarded more minutes at the guard position than Terry. While he's shown flashes of solid play, including his career-high 17 points in the 81st regular season game a year ago, Dosunmu and White have been significantly better in every category.

The good news for Terry is that he's been using the same offseason program that fellow guard White has been, and he's also been seen training with former teammate DeMar DeRozan. Filling out his frame and knocking down a catch-and-shoot three-point shot will fast-track his way onto the court for a Bulls team that will likely spend the season determining which young pieces to rebuild around and which ones to cut ties with. LaVine's potential mid-season departure would catapult Terry into much more opportunities.

Did the front office make the right investment with Dalen Terry, or should they have made him earn that second vote of confidence in his future with the franchise?