The Chicago Bulls have already set the wheels of change in motion after trading Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and now Mike Dunleavy could be next in the line out of town.
Houston Rockets reportedly interested in Mike Dunleavy
The Bulls’ swingman could be next to leave town.
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Over the summer, the Houston Rockets went all-in for a title run by signing Dwight Howard to a maximum contract, but it appears they're not done dealing. And Dunleavy is on their list, a source tells Sam Amick of USA Today. Amick writes that even though it appears the Bulls are in 'blow it up' mode, the forward won't come cheap for any team that would like to acquire his services.
The Rockets haven’t acted on this impulse just yet, as a person with knowledge of the Bulls’ dealings said Houston has yet to call to discuss a possible deal. And while Chicago’s trade of Luol Deng to Cleveland this week had rival executives wondering if the Bulls would now continue breaking up their band, Dunleavy - who signed as a free agent last summer - is held in extremely high regard by his current bosses and there will certainly be a hefty price to pay for anyone who comes calling.
Dunleavy is averaging 10.7 points on 45-percent shooting, including 39 percent from three-point range, and 3.7 rebounds in 28.2 minutes per game. He’s also a relative bargain at just $3 million for each of the next two seasons.
The Rockets haven’t gotten much production out of their backup small forward position, and bringing in a proven, respected player like Dunleavy would theoretically improve their chance of accomplishing their championship goal. The Darel Morey regime hasn’t been shy about looking for deals and pulling the trigger on the right ones, so don’t be surprised if this trade — and maybe others — goes down.
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