4 things to know about Kris Dunn, who the Celtics would have traded against

While waiting for the start of NBA free agency and confirmation of the trade, here are four things to know about Kris Dunn:

Dunn and his brother, John, looked after themselves when he was 9 years old.

When Kris Dunn was a year old, his mother, Pia, took him and his brother to Virginia, separating the boys from their father.

Years later, Dunn’s mother was arrested, leaving Dunn and his older brother years alone. The two began to live alone in their apartment in Virginia.

Dunn rarely attended his fourth grade classes so he and his brother could earn money to survive. They sold their clothes and played card games. Dunn even played one-on-one basketball with older kids, betting them he would win.

“It was just the two of us. Just the two of us – and no one knew that, ”Dunn recalled in an interview with ESPN. “We wouldn’t let him know. We were fighters. Every day we have learned how to get what we want to survive.

When Dunn’s father John Seldon found out about his sons’ living situation, he immediately sought custody and brought the boys home with him. When Seldon and a friend arrived at the front door of the Virginia apartment, Dunn had no idea who it was.

“I was in the house,” Dunn told ESPN. “There were two big guys knocking on the big glass door and telling me to come to the door. I look at them, I’m like ‘OK, I’m going to lock it down some more.’ My brother comes out and says, “What are you doing? He’s our father. The emotions came out of me so much. I have never met my father before.

He has roots in New England.

When Seldon won custody of his sons, New England became Dunn’s home for several years.

Seldon took the children to his home in New London, Connecticut, where Dunn spent his formative years. Dunn attended New London High School, brilliant as one of the best playmakers in the country.

Dunn received offers from some of New England’s top schools, such as Boston College, UConn, and Rhode Island, before signing with Providence.

After sustaining shoulder injuries during his first two years at Providence, Dunn broke in his junior season. Dunn scored 15.6 points per game and averaged Big East highs in assists (7.5) and steals (2.7) en route to claiming the conference player of the year for the 2014-15 season. Dunn remained at PC for his final year, once again winning the Big East Conference Player of the Year, averaging 16.4 points, 6.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game.

Dunn’s strong past seasons at Providence made him a top prospect for the 2016 NBA Draft, in which the Celtics had the third overall pick. In the run-up to the draft, several project experts speculated that Dunn would continue his journey north along I-95, but the Celtics ended up selecting Jaylen Brown. Dunn ended up being selected by the Timberwolves with the No.5 pick.

Dunn has been considered one of the best backcourt defenders in the league in recent years.

Offensively, Dunn fell short of the expectations most people would like to see play in the top five. He struggled in his rookie season at Minnesota, scoring just 3.8 points per game before being traded to Chicago as part of a package for All-Star Jimmy Butler.

While Dunn’s attacking game has improved over his three seasons with the Bulls (averaging 10.7 points and 5.4 assists per game on shooting ranges of 43.1 / 31/75 , 5), his defensive play shone. In 2017-18, Dunn had the second best steal percentage (which measures how many steals a player gets per 100 possessions) at 3.3%.

Two years later, Dunn led the league in stealing percentage (3.8%) and was second in stealing per game (2.0). He was also second in the league’s plus-minus defensive zone (which is an estimate of points per 100 possessions a player has contributed above an average league player) at 3.1. Dunn’s impressive season in defense in 2019-2020 saw him secure votes for All-Defensive teams, but he ended up being the top voter for not securing a spot in either of the teams.

Dunn has suffered several leg injuries over the past two seasons.

Dunn’s 2019-20 season was cut short when he sprained the right MCL in February.

After the Bulls let Dunn become a free agent, Dunn signed a two-year contract with the Hawks ahead of the start of the 2020-21 season. Dunn was absent at the start of the season after an MRI revealed a ruptured cartilage in his right knee. When he initially tried to return in December, issues with his ankle and lower part emerged which led to his right ankle being worn.

Dunn ended up missing the Hawks’ first 61 games of the season and only played four regular season games on his return. He also played in just four of the Hawks’ playoff games in their Eastern Conference Finals run, with most of his minutes coming in when the game was decided.