Kris Dunn
Kris Dunn is a defense-first veteran guard who is starting for now because Clippers injuries have thinned the backcourt, and he is not a guaranteed starter once they are healthy.
Role
Per the SI Clippers injury report (dated within the last day), with Brandon Ingram, Bradley Beal and Max Strus out against the Thunder, Dunn starts on the perimeter beside Derrick Jones Jr. and Darius Garland. ESPN's recap of the Oct. 21 opener against the Kings has him at 27 minutes with 7 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks and 3 steals. 213hoops' preseason preview (about 39 days old) expects a bench-guard role with significant rotation minutes, and says he does not expect him to start. It names Garland and rookie Keaton Wagler as the guards he shares the floor with. Rest days: CBS and RotoWire list his preseason absences as rest, and I found no regular-season rest or back-to-back plan. I did not read a depth chart or minutes tracker, so I have no exact minutes split.
He is a reliable defender who usually guards the opponent's best guard and produces steals and some blocks. He is also a secondary ballhandler who helps the Clippers' defensive floor. Injuries to Ingram, Beal and Strus have given him a starting job, and he has started 126 of his 156 games as a Clipper. In the opener against the Kings he filled the box score in 27 minutes, with 7 assists and 3 steals.
He is not a scorer and does not shoot much. RotoWire's June note said Wagler threatened his role, and the 213hoops preview calls him one of the more likely trade candidates on an expiring deal. Once Beal, Ingram and Strus return, he likely goes back to the bench, where Garland, Wagler and others compete for guard minutes. CBS also noted he is not guaranteed a starting role this season.
Where analysts split
The question is whether he holds a starting or high-minutes role once the Clippers are healthy. Preseason coverage expected a bench role, but injuries have put him in the starting five. Whether Wagler or another guard takes the minutes after that is unresolved in what I found. The reporting also does not settle whether he gets traded.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
Others at SG
Fantasy Memo reads your league and answers that every Monday, and checks your lineup on the days you play.
Connect your league: 14 days free