Should the Bulls stick with Dunn at point guard?
If nothing else, the Bulls' point guard situation is complicated.
They seem to be settled on four starters who will carry the rebuild into the near future - Zach LaVine, Otto Porter Jr., Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr.
Wednesday's win over Washington helped illustrate the conundrum. Kris Dunn piled up 26 points and 13 assists, even knocking down a pair of 3-pointers in overtime. This performance continued the two-year trend of Dunn playing better when LaVine is not on the floor. Dunn has shown signs of being a good player, but perhaps not the best fit for this group.
Meanwhile, Shaq Harrison also did well with extended minutes against the Wizards, contributing 18 points and 4 steals. Harrison is not really a point guard, but he is point-guard sized. He and Dunn did a nice job of forcing Bradley Beal into an inefficient 27 points.
There are basically three paths the Bulls could take this summer to fill their point guard spot:
1. Ja Morant
For this to happen, the Bulls would need to land the No. 2 pick in the draft lottery, maybe No. 3 would work, and select the Murray State sophomore.
Based on Morant's NCAA Tournament performance against Marquette, this appears to be an ideal scenario. Morant combines spectacular athleticism with great court vision.
If the Bulls end up drafting Morant, they should respectfully find a new home for Dunn. Orlando might be a perfect fit, since the Magic loves ex-Bulls point guard and could use someone younger than D.J. Augustin.
Then the Bulls should try to bring in a veteran to help show Morant the ropes. This might be a spot where Derrick Rose would be a good fit, being a useful player and mentor, but not being counted on to carry a big load. And we all know the Bulls love homecoming stories.
For the record, there are other point guards who could go later in the lottery, such as North Carolina's Coby White or Vanderbilt's Darius Garland.
2. Kris Dunn
If the Bulls don't draft a point guard, nothing says they need to move on from Dunn. He has played very well at times, has another season on a reasonable rookie contract and probably doesn't have a lot of trade value right now.
So giving the current group more time to blend together is a viable option. The Bulls would like to take a stride toward playoff contention next season, but management has said roughly 1,000 times they expect the rebuild to be a long, slow process.
It's also easy to imagine the Bulls trying to bring back both Ryan Arcidiacono and Harrison. Every coach, not just Jim Boylen, loves a guy who will dive into the seats and take charges. Arcidiacono has a decent all-around game as it stands and could benefit from a more consistent 3-point shot.
Harrison brings impressive speed and has been a good defender. He leads the NBA in steals per 48 minutes. He's definitely the type of guy the Bulls would want to work with in the summer to see if he can polish his scoring skills.
3. Some other free agent
If the Bulls had more cap space, they could conceivably make a run at Charlotte's Kemba Walker in free agency. But they're limited to around $20 million to spend this summer, so thinking big probably won't work.
Whether the Bulls wanted to bring in a potential starting point guard or pair a veteran with Dunn, there will be competition. Free agents like Indiana's Darren Collison, Utah's Ricky Rubio and the Clippers' Patrick Beverley are all starters on playoff teams. It may not be easy for the Bulls to pry one of those guys away.
If the Bulls do go point guard shopping, here's a suggestion: New Orleans' Elfrid Payton. The former lottery pick has played for three teams, but is just 25 years old. He also might be finding his legs in the NBA. With Jrue Holiday out with an injury recently, Payton played longer minutes and posted five straight triple-doubles. The Pelicans have a large payroll already, so they may not be able to spend the money to keep Payton around.
Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls