Former KU guard Devon Dotson, slowed by ankle sprain, signs two-way contract with Bulls
Former Kansas Jayhawks point guard Devon Dotson has signed his second two-way contract with the NBA’s Chicago Bulls in the last two years.
According to hoopsrumors.com, Dotson’s contract, which is designed to have him split time with the Bulls and the Bulls’ G League affiliate in 2021-22, includes a $50,000 guarantee. His deal is expected to pay him a maximum of $1.5 million.
Last season, Dotson, 22, averaged 2.1 points in 11 games with the Bulls. He averaged 13.0 points and 5.6 assists per game in 10 G League games with the Canton (Ohio) Charge. The Bulls’ G-League entry, the Windy City Bulls, did not field a team in the G League bubble last season because of COVID-19, but will return in 2021-22.
“Despite his (Dotson’s) value, he’s probably a long shot to make the (Bulls) regular-season roster with the addition of so many guards in Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan,” Sam Smith of nba.com wrote Sunday.
“Yet, when he left Thursday’s game three (of Las Vegas summer league) with an ankle sprain, the Bulls played by far the poorest they did in the summer league games, lost without his playmaking and defense on the ball,” Smith added.
The 6-foot-2 Dotson scored 16 points with seven rebounds and four assists in Chicago’s Vegas summer league opener, a 94-77 loss to New Orleans. He had five assists but just two points in the Bulls’ second game, a 92-89 win over San Antonio.
His injury limited him to 11 minutes, all in the first half, in the Bulls’ third game against Minnesota. Without Dotson, the Bulls, who led by two points at halftime, were outscored 48-27 in the second half of a 78-59 loss.
The injury, not believed to be serious, kept Dotson from playing in the Bulls’ fourth game on Sunday, a 96-91 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
“By all accounts, the (Bulls) coaching staff (members) are Dotson fans for his intense work ethic,” Smith wrote. “He’s probably the fastest player on the roster, though shooting has been the issue that probably left him out of the draft (in 2020 when he was not selected, but on draft night agreed to a two-way free agent contract with the Bulls). He’s only about 25% on threes in Las Vegas after about 33% in college. He looks like an NBA player; he just hasn’t gotten his chance yet. It happens sometimes when you have to fight all those guaranteed contracts. But there’s a guard glut on the roster, he’s small, doesn’t shoot reliably. It’s difficult when you aren’t drafted and pretty much every game is an audition,” Smith added.
Dotson told Smith: “It can seem like there is no light, but as long as you keep working things will work out. I’m not putting my head down. I’m a competitor. I don’t look at the negatives. I look at the positives, the up side of everything. Just trying to stay at it. I’ll talk to my agent and take it day by day.”
As a sophomore at Kansas in 2019-20, Dotson led the Big 12 in scoring at 18.1 points a game. He was first-team all-Big 12 and a consensus second-team All-American. He turned pro after two seasons at KU.
Jayhawks in summer league
Former KU center Udoka Azubuike scored 18 points with 10 rebounds and three steals in Utah’s 94-90 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday in Vegas. He hit 6 of 8 shots and 6 of 11 free throws. … Former KU point guard Frank Mason, a free agent who has played parts of four seasons in the league (for Sacramento, Milwaukee, Orlando), scored 15 points with four assists, four rebounds, one steal and no turnovers in Philadelphia’s 99-96 loss to Minnesota on Sunday in Vegas. On Saturday, the 27-year-old Mason scored nine points on 4-of-10 shooting (0-for-3 from three) with two assists and three turnovers for Philly in the Sixers’ 100-80 loss to Boston. Former KU forward K.J. Lawson had three points on 1-of-6 shooting and his brother, former KU forward Dedric Lawson no points and four boards for the Celtics.
