Unfortunately, the time has come for the Chicago Bulls to move on from Denzel Valentine.
In life, we’ve all experienced high expectations followed by a letdown. When I was young, Shaquille O’Neal was one of my favorite athletes. Imagine my excitement when I saw a trailer for a movie featuring Shaq turning himself into a superhero to fight crime. The result was 1997’s “Steel.”
If you haven’t seen the movie, count yourself fortunate. Even as a child, I knew it was a bad film. Denzel Valentine is a promising young prospect who has a tremendous upside. Expectations were high when he landed in Chicago; unfortunately his time there has unfolded like a bad screenplay.
The rebuilding process in the Windy City has been long and frustrating. Valentine was a member of the team the last time they made the postseason in 2017. However, as a rookie playing behind Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler, his minutes were limited. Since then, the Bulls have not only missed the playoffs, they’ve struggled to keep key players healthy and put a competitive team on the floor.
Denzel Valentine was the 14th pick in the 2016 draft. Injuries have prevented him from becoming a star. It is time for the Chicago Bulls to trade him.
This year, things are beginning to take a turn in the right direction for the proud franchise. First-year head coach Billy Donovan is doing a great job of instilling confidence in young players while empowering veterans to excel at their strengths.
Zach LaVine has emerged as an All-Star caliber player, and the Bulls have a legitimate shot at qualifying for the postseason play-in tournament. In the midst of all this, Valentine’s role with the team has become unclear. Here’s a look at the reasons that now is time for himself and the franchise to go their separate ways.