As Chicago’s starting small forward, Dunleavy doesn’t put up major numbers, but he is a key component due to his outstanding outside shooting.
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He averaged 9.4 points in 63 games last season for the Bulls and shot 41 percent from 3-point range.
Chicago Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy underwent a lower-back microdiscectomy procedure on Friday, the Bulls announced. The Bulls’ first regular-season game is October. 27. He is expected to be sidelined eight to 10 weeks. It’s bad that this is happening right as training camp is about to begin, though – both Dunleavy and the team must wish this had been done earlier in the offseason. Conservative measures failed to resolve his symptoms, the team said, leading to the choice to have surgery, which was performed at Rush University Medical Center.
Dunleavy signed a three-year, $14 million contract with Chicago in July after drawing some interest from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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The most plausible option to take that starting spot may be Nikola Mirotic but he also might be an option to start at power forward as there have been reports that new head coach Fred Hoiberg doesn’t want to start Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol together. He missed an extended stretch because of a nagging ankle injury. His team (at Iowa State) shot a lot of 3s. The Bulls, as they’re accustomed to doing, will just have to wait awhile.
