Chicago Bulls rookie Dalen Terry embraces G League assignment

Some NBA players — especially those taken early in the NBA Draft — may see being sent to the G League as a demotion. But for Bulls rookie Dalen Terry, it's an opportunity to get valuable experience and develop his skills.

Making lemonade out of lemons

As is often the case with teams with elevated aspirations like the Chicago Bulls, playing time can be hard to come by for rookies. That has been the case for Terry, who the team picked 18th overall in the 2022 Draft. The Arizona product has played in 7 out of the Bulls' first 14 games, averaging a mere 3 minutes per outing.

With playing time at a premium, the Bulls decided to assign Terry to their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls. It's a move that could be seen as a negative by some, but Terry is taking it all in stride.

"I wanted to go. I've been asking to go down," said Terry.

Terry made the most of his opportunities at the Hoffman Estates, helping the team win consecutive games. Terry had 18 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, and 8 turnovers in a 121-106 win over the Iowa Wolves. He followed that up with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists against the same Wolves squad on Sunday.

.@DalenTerry throws it down with AUTHORITY! 😤 pic.twitter.com/sVcYQs7ue3
— Windy City Bulls (@windycitybulls) November 13, 2022

Double duty

After Sunday's game, the Chicago Bulls recalled Terry, who played 6 minutes in the lopsided loss to the Denver Nuggets. He had 5 points and 2 assists. Afterward, Terry said he cherishes playing the game of basketball regardless of the level.

"I just love to play basketball. I'm not here for the money or anything like that. I just love to play. If it's limited time up here, I'd rather go down there and work on some things."

.@DalenTerry played in 2 games today -- one for Windy City and one for the @chicagobulls! 👀🔴 pic.twitter.com/sGlSBlYl5n
— Windy City Bulls (@windycitybulls) November 14, 2022