Dunn attended New London High School in New London, Connecticut; he was one of the most dominating point guards in high school basketball. During his junior year in 2010-2011, Dunn averaged 26.5 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals and 5 assists per game to lead the Whalers to a 27-0 record and a victory in the Connecticut Class L State Championship against Northwest Catholic High School. In his senior year from 2011-2012, he scored his 2,000th career point. He also led New London High School to the semifinal round of the 2012 Connecticut Class LL State Championships where they were defeated by St. Josephs High School. Dunn was ranked #24 out of all high school players nationwide. He was also #1 in Connecticut. Dunn announced his intention to attend Providence College in August 2011.
College career
Dunn tore his labrum in June 2012 and underwent shoulder surgery immediately. He made his freshman debut in late December. He played 25 games that season and averaged 5.7 points per game. On December 11, 2013, it was announced Dunn would undergo shoulder surgery and miss the rest of his sophomore season after playing four games. In the 2014-2015 season, Dunn returned from injury to earn the Big East Player of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year awards. He averaged 15.6 points per game and led the Big East in assists per game and steals per game. Choosing to return for the 2015-2016 season with the intention of graduating, Dunn garnered many preseason accolades, including preseason POY. Dunn was named Big East Player of the Week on January 4, 2016 after scoring 26 points in a win against St. John's and a 26 point outing in a victory over ninth-ranked Butler. On February 1, 2016, he was named one of 10 finalists for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. He was named to the 35-man midseason watchlist for the Naismith Trophy on February 11. At the conclusion of his redshirt junior season, Dunn announced his intention to skip his final season of eligibility and enter the 2016 NBA draft. Dunn graduated from Providence and received his college degree following the end of the season. According to ESPN, Dunn was listed as the number two point guard and would likely be a top ten pick in the draft.
Professional career
Minnesota Timberwolves (2016–2017)
On June 23, 2016, Dunn was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the fifth overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. On July 7, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Timberwolves and joined the team for the 2016 NBA Summer League. Dunn scored a team-high 27 points in his Summer League debut. He managed just two Summer League games before sitting out the rest of the tournament after being diagnosed with a concussion. He made his regular season debut on October 26 in the Timberwolves' season opener, scoring eight points off the bench in a 102–98 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. On November 1, he had 10 points, six assists and five steals in his first career start, helping the Timberwolves defeat the Grizzlies 116–80. On December 6, he had a season-best game with 15 points on 6-for-7 shooting in a 105–91 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Chicago Bulls (2017–present)
On June 22, 2017, Dunn was traded, along with Zach LaVine and the rights to Lauri Markkanen, to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Jimmy Butler and the rights to Justin Patton. His debut with the Bulls was delayed until the fifth game of the season after he suffered a left index finger dislocation during a preseason game on October 6. In his debut on October 28, in a 101–69 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dunn came off the bench and had eight points and five fouls, while also aggravating his finger. On November 17, 2017, he scored a career-high 22 points in a 123–120 win over the Charlotte Hornets. On December 9, 2017, he had 17 points, nine assists and seven rebounds and made two free throws with 2.9 seconds left to lift the Bulls to a 104–102 victory over the New York Knicks. On December 26, 2017, he recorded 20 points and 12 assists in 33 minutes in a 115–106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. He also had four steals and two blocks against the Bucks; Dunn joined Michael Jordan as the only Bulls player with at least 20 points, 12 assists, four steals and two blocks in a game. He also became one of only 18 players to have amassed that stat line in an NBA game. On January 5, 2018, he scored a career-high 32 points in a 127–124 win over the Dallas Mavericks. On February 14, 2018, he had eight points and three assists in 20 minutes against the Toronto Raptors after missing 11 games because of a concussion. Dunn missed the first two games of the 2018–19 season for the birth of his first child. After recording nine points and seven assists on October 22 against the Dallas Mavericks, Dunn was sidelined with a sprained MCL in his left knee. On December 10, after sitting out nearly seven weeks, Dunn returned to the lineup and finished with nine points in 20 minutes in a 108–89 loss to the Sacramento Kings. On December 15, he scored 24 points in a 98–93 win over the San Antonio Spurs. On January 4, he had 16 points and 17 assists in a 119–116 overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers. On March 20, he scored a season-high 26 points—including eight in overtime—to go with 13 assists in a 126–120 overtime win over the Washington Wizards.
Personal life
On October 18, 2018, Dunn's girlfriend gave birth to a son.
