3 Undervalued free agents the Toronto Raptors can buy low on this summer

No. 2. Kris Dunn

Toronto has experience taking a chance on former lottery picks who were praised for their defense, à la Stanley Johnson. Sadly for the "Stanimal", his defensive upside couldn't overshadow his obvious lack of an offensive arsenal. So listing Kris Dunn as a worthwhile free agent for the Toronto Raptors might throw some people off, but it's worth hearing out his upside.

Kris Dunn came into the 2016 NBA Draft as a top point guard prospect, despite being an older collegiate player who spent four full years at Providence. The Minnesota Timberwolves were clearly enamored by his defensive potential when they took him with the fifth overall selection. If he could just polish his offense to a serviceable rate, they had a solid point guard to pair with their other young stars Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns. Fans never got to see that Wolves trio grow up together as Dunn was shipped out to Chicago as part of the Jimmy Butler trade.

Dunn's early Bulls stint started off on the right track, as he recorded double-digit points in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, while also shooting a solid clip from three-point range. Injuries began to hamper Dunn's career and his minutes significantly decreased with the arrival of 2019 draft selection Coby White. Before fans knew it, Dunn seemingly disappeared from the limelight, after a putrid stint in Atlanta and a short run for the mediocre 2021-22 Portland Trail Blazers.

When Dunn joined the Utah Jazz, he seemed to turn his career around as a consistent rotation player, rediscovering his shot (although not a lights-out shooter) and proving himself as a reliable backup veteran point guard. Toronto requires some backup guard depth, pending their offseason decision on Bruce Brown's team option, and Kris Dunn is a worthy candidate to fill that role. In essence, Dunn is almost like a mirror of Bruce Brown, a smaller guard who embodies toughness, isn't the greatest shooter in the world, but can put the locks on any opposing player.

Even better, Dunn can seamlessly transition into his role without overshadowing his teammates. He doesn't require constant possession of the ball to be successful. As long as Kris can distribute the ball effectively, play strong defense, and shoot the three-point shot at a league-average rate, he brings significant value to the Raptors. While other teams may be interested in him due to his improvements, Toronto won't have to break the bank to secure his services and should be prepared to make an offer.