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SALT LAKE CITY — Kris Dunn was lying in bed trying to fight off an illness when his phone rang. Utah Jazz general manager Justin Zanik was on the other line, and he had some good news: Dunn's contract was being guaranteed for the rest of the season.
It was almost enough to perk him up from his sick bed. Almost.
"I hope he doesn't think I was content with it because I'm not," Dunn said. "I'm super grateful for the opportunity. A lot of work being put in. I'm forever grateful for the Utah Jazz giving me that opportunity since last year."
The news was expected. Since Dunn joined the team in February he's proven to be a revelation. He's been an efficient scorer, led the Jazz in potential assists (shots set up), and been the team's best perimeter defensive force.
The Jazz gave him a chance, yes, but it was Dunn that turned himself into that type of player. The former lottery pick reworked his game last season in the G League, altering his shot and pace enough to turn into a legit offensive threat.
But even as he was putting up numbers in the G League (16.2 points on 52% shooting and 41% from 3-point range), there wasn't a lot of interest from the NBA. Dunn's reputation seemed cemented. Sure, he could guard, but he was seen as an offensive liability.
"It's actually funny, my name didn't ring no bells," Dunn said.
He remembers his G League coach Mike Williams, who is now on the Jazz staff, would often come to him and ask how he stayed calmed and not frustrated.
"I just told him, I'm excited to be here. And I stayed in the moment," Dunn said. "I fell in love with the game even more, because when you're down and out, you've got to find a way to really battle through. I just really, really worked on my fundamentals and tried to develop my game so when the shot did come and present itself, I was ready."
He's proved that then some.
Dunn missed Saturday's open scrimmage due to his illness, but he was far from forgotten. Just about every in-scrimmage interview featured a shout out to Dunn.
Who's the loudest player in the locker room? Dunn.
The toughest? Um, also, Dunn.
The funniest? Yep, Dunn, too.
When Lauri Markkanen was asked what the best part about living in Utah was, he even quipped that "Kris Dunn is pretty good."
So there was obvious excitement around the team when they were informed he'd be with them for the long haul this season.
"It's awesome. I love KD," Kelly Olynyk said. "Everything he's brought … the talk, the energy, the competitiveness on both ends of the floor. Great locker room guy, keeps the environment light. When it comes to hooping, he's a hooper, and he earned it. Put in the work, came every day to play and you love to see that.
"In this league, it's hard enough to get drafted, get a contract on a team. And then to kind of be shaken around, have to go to the G league and earn that back? I mean, that's big time," Olynyk continued. "To stay persistent and follow your goals and your dreams and keep working and sometimes have to change and adapt and adjust your game … it's not easy. Not everybody can do it. That's why not everybody gets back. But that's a testament to who he is and what he's about. We're lucky to have him."
And Dunn feels lucky to have found an organization that fit him so well. When he first walked into the Jazz practice facility, he said he felt a calmness about the place and about the organization. Everything since then has only confirmed those initial impressions. To him, it just feels different than his previous stops in the NBA.
"The front office, the coaching staff, they really know the game of basketball and they do a great job of teaching," Dunn said. "Not throwing any shade to Minnesota or Chicago — those are great places and definitely grateful for the opportunity — but it kind of feels like a family."
