NBA
KD
#8

Kris Dunn

Guard · LA Clippers · 6-3, 205 lb · Born March 18, 1994 · New London, Connecticut · Drafted 2016 Round 1, Pick 5 (Minnesota Timberwolves)
No. 5 Pick 2016Elite Perimeter D2x Big East POY
NBALA ClippersGuards
Compare:vs Lopezvs Garlandvs Jr.vs Zubacvs Collinsvs Miller
In short

Kris Dunn is a 6-foot-3 LA Clippers guard and elite point-of-attack defender, a former No. 5 pick and two-time Big East Player of the Year at Providence, who reinvented his career as one of the NBA's premier perimeter stoppers.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceTue, Nov 10
@Indiana PacersAggressive hedge & help
Proj. points
7.3
range 4.6–10
Line 7.5
47%
to go over
Team win
37%
111–114
Poi 7.3 Lean underReb 3.3 Lean underAss 3.6 Lean overPRA 14.2 Lean over
Likely on himAndrew Nembhard· 80 Perimeter DStrong defender
5+ pts78%10+ pts18%

Model lines Dunn at 7.3 pts (range 4.6–10) vs a 7.5 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (47%).

Model favors Indiana Pacers (63%), projected 111–114, ~225 total at 96.6 pace.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
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The Dunn Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
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Kris Dunn rebuilt an NBA career on the one thing that never left him — elite defense.

A two-time Big East Player of the Year at Providence, he was drafted fifth in 2016 but bounced from Minnesota to Chicago to Atlanta as injuries mounted.

After paper trades and a G League detour, he revived his career in Utah as one of the league's best point-of-attack defenders.

The Clippers signed him via sign-and-trade in 2024 to hound opposing guards — a stopper who ranked near the NBA's top in steals despite never being named All-Defensive.

— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
7.3
2025-26
RPG
3.3
per game
APG
3.6
per game
FG%
.476
.374 from three
LIFE

Roots & the rise

A defensive specialist who clawed his way back to relevance, Kris Dunn turned an up-and-down early career into a role as one of the NBA's most disruptive point-of-attack defenders.

Kristofer Michael Dunn was born March 18, 1994 in New London, Connecticut. At Providence he was twice named Big East Player of the Year and twice Big East Defensive Player of the Year (2015, 2016), earning consensus second-team All-American honors before Minnesota drafted him fifth overall in 2016.

After a rookie year in Minnesota and his most prominent starting stretch in Chicago — where he once matched a Michael Jordan-level stat line — injuries in Atlanta and paper transactions to Boston and Memphis nearly derailed him. He rebuilt his value in the G League.

A revival in Utah (2022-2024) reestablished him as an elite defender, and he signed with the Clippers via sign-and-trade in July 2024 to anchor their perimeter defense.

Sources: Wikipedia, Basketball-Reference, NBA.com.

BEYOND THE GAME

Off the Court

Dunn overcame a difficult childhood, including a period of family hardship, before being raised in Connecticut by his father. His resilience off the court mirrors the grind of his professional comeback.

He was suspended two games in March 2024 (with Utah) after an altercation with Houston's Jabari Smith Jr. — a basketball-disciplinary matter rather than a legal one.

PERSONALITY

The person

Tenacious, resilient and defense-obsessed, Dunn is the ultimate stopper who rebuilt his career on effort.

Point-of-Attack MenaceLong arms and quick hands generate elite steal and deflection rates.
Comeback StoryFought back from injuries and the G League to a real NBA role.
Low-Usage GlueDefends the toughest guard assignment without needing shots.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Perimeter Defender · Iron-Man
Temperament
Connector
Leadership
58/100
Scoring53
Playmaking60
Rebounding42
Perimeter D86
Rim protection22
Spacing67
Athleticism70
Clutch60
an iron-man point-of-attack defender
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

Elite Stopper

Dunn is a premier on-ball perimeter defender with length and quick hands, capable of guarding multiple backcourt positions and generating high steal and deflection numbers.

Shooting Ceiling

Inconsistent outside shooting limits his spacing and caps his offensive role; he isn't a primary scorer and thrives as a low-usage complement.

Snubbed by the Rules

In 2024-25 he ranked near the top of the NBA in steals but has never made an All-Defensive team, gated in part by minutes-eligibility criteria rather than production.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-268227.27.33.33.6.476.374

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

DraftNo. 5, 2016 (Minnesota)
CollegeProvidence (2x Big East POY)
All-DefensiveNone (G League 2023)

Hardware

2x
Big East POY
2x
Big East DPOY
No. 5
2016 draft pick
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated 2026

A defensive-stopper rotation guard on a modest deal.

Dunn signed a reported three-year, ~$16M deal with the Clippers in 2024 and provides elite point-of-attack defense off the bench and as a spot starter. His pursuit of a first All-Defensive nod is a storyline gated more by minutes rules than by his production.

Perimeter DefenseElite
PlaymakingSolid
Outside ShotLimited

Contract

Deal
3 yr / ~$16M Signed July 2024
Bottom line

One of the NBA's best perimeter defenders — a low-usage stopper whose value is entirely on the defensive end.

FAQ

Quick answers

Where was Kris Dunn drafted?

Fifth overall in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Has Kris Dunn ever made an NBA All-Defensive team?

No — despite ranking near the top of the league in steals in 2024-25, he has never been selected. He did earn G League All-Defensive honors in 2023.

What did Dunn do in college?

At Providence he was twice named Big East Player of the Year and twice Big East Defensive Player of the Year (2015, 2016).

What is Dunn's role with the Clippers?

A defensive-specialist rotation guard who takes the toughest backcourt assignment; he isn't a primary scorer.