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Report: Chicago Bulls, Mike Dunleavy Agree To Three-Year Deal

By James D. Tillman III

Apr 27, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy (34) is defended by Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in game five of the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy (34) is defended by Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in game five of the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Chicago Bulls entered into the free agency period fairly confident about the current roster and their ability to retain key players. One of the key players in question is Mike Dunleavy, who signed a two-year, $6 million deal with the team back in 2013 on the heels of Derrick Rose‘s first ACL injury.

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And despite drawing interest from the division rival Cleveland Cavaliers, Dunleavy and the Bulls have agreed to a three-year deal reportedly worth $14.4 million, with a partial guarantee in the third year, according Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

This move should not come as much of a surprise to anyone, as Dunleavy recently expressed a strong desire to remain in Chicago, as reported by Chicago Sun Times’ Joe Cowley:

"‘‘I’m willing to be patient with this thing. That would be the case with any team. And with where I’m at in my career, I’m not one of those guys that someone will be ramming down my door at midnight. The Bulls are a priority for me, and we’ll try and figure something out, I’m sure.’’"

During the 2014-15 season, Dunleavy’s averages included 9.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per contest. While those numbers don’t appear to be overly impressive at first glance, Dunleavy did play well in the post season, raising his scoring average to 10.5 and 11.3 points respectively against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cavaliers.

May 6, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward James Jones (1) and Chicago Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy (34) watch as Jones hits a three pointer during the third quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
May 6, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward James Jones (1) and Chicago Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy (34) watch as Jones hits a three pointer during the third quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

Along with that, the one attribute about Dunleavy’s game that the Bulls have always valued is his shooting. During the regular season, Dunleavy converted a respectable 41 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. And during the playoffs, he shot a very efficient 48 percent from three-point range.

That being said, regardless of the fact that Dunleavy is not the most athletic player on the roster, his ability to knock down shots from the perimeter along with holding his own from a defensive standpoint, provides the Bulls with someone that opposing teams have to account for at both ends of the floor. Furthermore, in an offense that is expected to feature a lot of three-point shooting under new head coach Fred Hoiberg, it is very possible that Dunleavy will have more of impact over the next few seasons than he has so far.

In other words, Chicago was able to keep an important piece of its puzzle at a relatively low price to say the least.

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