The Clippers have gone from wondering whether Kris Dunn could bring back a first-round pick to making that the starting point of any conversation.
That wasn’t the case before the season. At that point, LA would have been fortunate to get a first for Dunn at all.
He’s on an inexpensive expiring deal, and his offensive reputation has never exactly screamed premium trade chip. Teams around the league likely would have been reluctant to surrender a valuable draft asset unless there was something extra attached.
Nearly 10 games into the season, though, the market has shifted hard. Dunn has played himself into a different tier of value, and the Clippers should treat him that way. If they move him at the trade deadline, the return should include at least one unprotected or lightly protected first-round pick.
The reason is simple: Dunn has been outstanding on both ends.
Offensively, he’s giving the Clippers 8.5 points and 4.5 assists while shooting 50.0% from the field and 35.0% from 3-point range. Among Clippers players who have appeared in at least five games, he also owns the team’s best assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.57 and the best net rating at 2.0.
But it’s the defense that has turned this into a different conversation altogether. Dunn has a legitimate case as the best guard defender in basketball right now. He ranks second in the league in steals with 22 and second in deflections with 43.
The only player ahead of him in steals is Dyson Daniels, the Atlanta Hawks starter who has played in three more games than Dunn.
If the Clippers were winning at even an average clip, there’s no question Dunn would be part of the Defensive Player of the Year discussion. Instead, with LA sitting at 1-7, his work has flown a little under the radar.
Still, that shouldn’t change the asking price. The Clippers should only consider moving Dunn if a first-round pick is in the deal.
If a team says no, the answer should be immediate and final. He’s too valuable to settle for less.