The Chicago Bulls announced ahead of their Monday night matchup with the Indiana Pacers that Dalen Terry will head to the G-League.
Considering the Chicago Bulls will not return to the United Center until Friday’s battle with the Brooklyn Nets, Terry may spend to next few days with the Windy City Bulls. For what it’s worth, the G-League does begin their training camp today and will have it run through Nov. 9. The Chicago Bulls’ affiliate will then play their first game against the Iowa Wolves on Nov. 10. You can take a look at the Windy City Bulls’ full training camp roster here.
Roster Update: We have assigned guard Dalen Terry to the @WindyCityBulls. pic.twitter.com/ignQg7XXfK
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 30, 2023
At the same time, we should mention that it’s possible Terry spends only a matter of hours with the Windy City crew. It’s not uncommon for teams to send young players who are out of the rotation to the G-League for a little extra practice.
Regardless of the reasoning or the length of Terry’s stay, however, it’s still noteworthy that he’s spending any time with the Windy City Bulls. This isn’t at all what one would hope to see for the No. 18 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Terry already spent 13 games with the G-League last season, including a handful of practices. For a Bulls team that has seen little change and doubled down on internal development, the ideal situation would certainly have your former first-round pick on the bench every night. Heck, the ideal situation has that former first-round pick in the rotation!
So, Where the Heck Was Dalen Terry This Season?
I think it says even more about where Terry is at that we didn’t get the same assignment news for rookie Julian Phillips. The No. 35 pick in this past summer’s draft, is it possible that he’s already surpassed Terry on Billy Donovan’s depth chart? (FWIW: I did predict as much earlier this summer …)
I don’t want to make this some sort of Dalen Terry Bashfest, but we also can’t ignore the fact that he’s struggled to make an impression thus far. Whether it be shooting 33.8 percent from the field in Summer League on 13.0 shots per game or averaging just 13.0 minutes per game in the preseason, it’s become painfully evident that consistent playing time isn’t in Terry’s future. And this feels all the more notable when we also remember the Bulls have until Tuesday to pick up Terry’s third-year option.
To be clear, our expectations should still be that they do just that. Terry is only 21 years old, and I’d be shocked if somebody who has touted continuity as much as Arturas Karnisovas gave up on him that fast (especially since, ya know, he’s used one of his very few first-round picks on him). But the $3.5 million Terry is owed next season isn’t necessarily nothing, and his inability to make a bigger impression has made whether the Bulls should consider it a more legitimate question than usual.
I’m rooting for the guy. He seems like a good dude and a hard worker. We also can’t deny there is some potential there when it comes to his defensive versatility and passing vision. If the Bulls were to sell off at this deadline, then perhaps more real NBA minutes would do Terry some good. Unless that happens, though, it’s hard to see a world where Bulls fans get a better taste of what he can do. He just hasn’t earned it.
