More on Denzel Valentine Free Agency
Keith Smith: The 10-Day hardship contracts for the following players expired today: James Ennis III - Denver Nuggets Chris Silva - Miami Heat Denzel Valentine - Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz have signed guard/forward Denzel Valentine a 10-day contract under the NBA’s COVID-related hardship exception.
Shams Charania: The Knicks are waiving Denzel Valentine, freeing the five-year veteran to enter free agency, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Kelsey Russo: #Cavs make the signing of Denzel Valentine official.
Chris Fedor: #Cavs have signed Denzel Valentine to a two-year deal, sources tell @clevelanddotcom.
Shams Charania: The Cleveland Cavaliers are signing guard Denzel Valentine to a partially guaranteed two-year deal, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Valentine was the No. 14 pick in the 2016 NBA draft and provides wing depth to the Cavaliers.
Shams Charania: Free agent Denzel Valentine has signed a one-year, $4.7M (qualifying offer) deal with the Bulls, sources tell @The Athletic @Stadium.
KC Johnson: The Bulls plan to not issue a qualifying offer to Kris Dunn, per sources. The Clippers are among several teams expected to show interest in the soon-to-be-free-agent guard. Can also confirm Bulls will extend qualifying offer to Denzel Valentine, which @Darnell Mayberry had 1st.
Darnell Mayberry: The Bulls have extended a $4.7 million qualifying offer to Denzel Valentine, the 14th overall pick in 2016, sources tell @TheAthletic.
Daniel Greenberg: Chicago Bulls guard Denzel Valentine is a free agent but he recently told @itsthebigs that he "would definitely love to be part of the team." Valentine: "We have great chemistry here. We all have great guys on the team. We all get along."
Pending free agent Denzel Valentine is participating in the Bulls’ voluntary program. Like Dunn, he either will be a restricted or unrestricted free agent depending on whether the Bulls extend him a qualifying offer.
Now, depending on whether the Bulls return to close out the regular season, Valentine is on the verge of becoming a restricted free agent with 36 choppy games to show for the past two seasons. Whether his future is in Chicago or elsewhere, the end of the season should have been a proving ground for Valentine to demonstrate he’s still got it — and he’s deserving of the financial security afforded to those who do. “It’s pretty rough right now because it’s a lot of uncertainty that’s going on,” Valentine said. “And it’s my contract year. It’s a lot on my plate right now that I think about. Everybody’s going through it right now. It’s a lot of people out there that lost their jobs and have bigger problems than I have. I’m just very blessed and grateful to be where I’m at right now. But there are still some things to worry about.”
Valentine is playing for his NBA future, whether it’s with the Bulls or, if they let the restricted free agent walk, elsewhere. “It’s huge to prove to myself and to everybody else that I belong for good,” Valentine said.
Valentine is playing for his NBA future, whether it’s with the Bulls or, if they let the restricted free agent walk, elsewhere. “It’s huge to prove to myself and to everybody else that I belong for good,” Valentine said.
What Valentine won’t do yet is demand a trade. He will be a restricted free agent this summer, and sources have indicated the Bulls don’t see him in their future. If they could package him in a trade by the deadline next month, they would jump at the opportunity. If Valentine is traded, that’s one thing. But he isn’t walking around and pouting with the hope the Bulls will pull the trigger on a deal. That’s not in his character.
But considering it was Boylen who told Valentine just more than a week ago that he again was out of the rotation, Valentine didn’t see much reason to do so. ‘‘He kind of told me a couple of games ago that I was out of the rotation,’’ Valentine said. ‘‘He didn’t really say why. He’s the coach, and he feels like he wants to do that. He can do that, so . . . ’’
Just like that, however, he was back on the bench. And he’s not happy about it. For the first time, however, he’s really voicing that displeasure rather than simply saying what the Bulls want to hear. ‘‘I’m definitely not happy about it,’’ Valentine said Saturday. ‘‘I’m a competitor. I want to play, I want to be productive, I want to help the team win. But that’s out of my control, so I’m not about to let it make [me] not happy every day.’’
The Chicago Bulls have exercised the third-year option on Lauri Markkanen, and fourth-year options on guards Kris Dunn and Denzel Valentine. By exercising their options, all players will be under contract with the Bulls for the 2019-20 season. Markkanen came to the Bulls in a Draft-night trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves on June 22, 2017, in which his rights were acquired, along with Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine, in exchange for Jimmy Butler and the rights to the 16th selection in the 2017 NBA Draft. Markkanen was selected to the All-Rookie First Team last season after playing in 68 games (68 starts) and averaging 15.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 29.7 minutes per game.
