History of Luol Deng in Timeline
"Luol Ajou Deng is a retired professional basketball player from South Sudan and the UK. Widely recognized for his two NBA All-Star selections and his defensive prowess, which earned him a spot on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2012. Deng's journey began in South Sudan, from where he and his family fled, ultimately settling in the United Kingdom. He became a British citizen in 2006 and represented Great Britain in international basketball competitions."
1997: Two All-Stars for Chicago
Deng and Derrick Rose becoming NBA All-Stars marked the first time since 1997 that the Chicago Bulls had two All-Stars in the All-Star Game.
2003: Attends Duke University
Deng accepted an athletic scholarship to attend Duke University in 2003.
2003: Five-Star Recruit
Deng was considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com and was listed as the No. 1 small forward and the No. 2 player in the nation in 2003.
2004: NCAA Final Four Appearance
Deng and his Duke Blue Devils teammates reached the 2004 NCAA Final Four.
2004: NBA Debut
Deng made his NBA debut with the Chicago Bulls in 2004, after being drafted by the Phoenix Suns and immediately traded to Chicago.
2004: Real Estate Investments
Luol Deng began investing in real estate shortly after entering the NBA in 2004 and has since built a substantial portfolio that includes hotels, resorts, condominiums, and apartment buildings.
2004: Bulls Miss Playoffs
The Chicago Bulls missed the playoffs in the 2007-2008 season for the first time since 2004.
2005: NBA All-Rookie First Team
Deng was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2005.
October 2006: Becomes a British Citizen
In October 2006, Luol Deng became a naturalized British citizen.
December 2006: Hard Foul by James Posey
On December 27, 2006, Miami Heat player James Posey was ejected and suspended for one game for committing a hard foul on Deng, grabbing his wrist and causing concern that he may have re-injured it.
2006: Golden Icon Award for Best Sports Role Model
Deng won the Golden Icon Award for Best Sports Role Model for the 2006-2007 season.
2006: Basketball Without Borders Tour
During the summer of 2006, Luol Deng traveled to Africa, Asia, and Europe as part of the NBA's Basketball Without Borders Tour.
2006: Starts Every Game for the Bulls
In the 2006-2007 season, Deng started all 82 regular season games for the Chicago Bulls.
March 2007: Career-High 38 Points
On March 26, 2007, Deng scored a career-high 38 points to lead the Bulls to a home victory against the Portland Trail Blazers.
May 2007: NBA Sportsmanship Award
Deng won the NBA sportsmanship award in a vote by players in May 2007.
August 2007: Represents Great Britain in International Competition
In August 2007, Luol Deng made his debut for the Great Britain national basketball team in a closed international test match against Georgia, scoring 19 points. He also played in his first competitive qualifying game for Great Britain, recording 21 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, three steals, and two blocks against Slovakia.
2007: Achilles Tendinitis
Deng missed 19 games for the Chicago Bulls during the 2007-2008 season, mostly due to left Achilles tendinitis.
2007: Basketball Without Borders Tour
During the summer of 2007, Luol Deng traveled to Africa, Asia, and Europe as part of the NBA's Basketball Without Borders Tour.
2008: UN Refugee Agency's Humanitarian of the Year Award
Deng won the UN Refugee Agency's Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2008.
2009: Sprained Right Calf
Deng missed 11 straight games at the end of March in 2010 due to a sprained right calf.
November 2010: Career-High 40 Points
On November 1, 2010, Deng scored a career-high 40 points against the Portland Trail Blazers.
2010: Honorary Doctorate
Luol Deng was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Loughborough University in 2010.
February 2011: Game-Winning Shot Against Miami
On February 24, 2011, Deng hit the game winning 3-point shot with 16 seconds left on the clock in a game against the Miami Heat.
March 2011: "The Most Underrated Player"
On March 31, 2011, Eric Bressman of Dime magazine called Deng "the most underrated player" in the NBA.
January 2012: Wrist Injury
Deng injured his wrist during the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Bobcats on January 21, 2012, later revealed to be a torn ligament in his left wrist.
February 2012: Returns from Injury
Deng returned to the Chicago Bulls' starting lineup on February 4, 2012, after missing time due to a wrist injury.
February 2012: First All-Star Game
Deng was selected as a reserve for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game, representing the Eastern Conference team, on February 9, 2012.
March 2012: Game-Winning Tip-In
Deng hit a buzzer-beating game winner on March 24, 2012, off a tip-in basket to lift the Bulls 102-101 in overtime versus the Toronto Raptors.
2012: First All-Star Selection
Deng was selected as an NBA All-Star for the first time in 2012, while playing for the Chicago Bulls.
2012: Leads Bulls in Scoring
During the 2012-2013 season, Deng averaged a team high 16.5 points per game for the Chicago Bulls.
2012: Represents Great Britain in the Olympics
Luol Deng represented Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics, where he averaged 15.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. However, the team finished with a 1-4 record.
2012: NBA All-Defensive Second Team
Luol Deng was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2012.
2013: Second All-Star Selection
Deng was selected as a reserve for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game.
2013: Contract Extension Talks and Trade Rumors
During the 2013 offseason, Luol Deng and the Chicago Bulls engaged in informal contract extension talks, but no formal offer was made by the team. Deng was seeking a contract worth around $12 million per year over 4-5 seasons. Trade rumors surrounding Deng persisted throughout the season.
2013: Chicago Bulls Playoff Run
In 2013, Luol Deng and the Chicago Bulls reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals after defeating the Brooklyn Nets in seven games. They were then defeated by the eventual NBA champions, the Miami Heat, in five games. Deng averaged 13.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists during that playoff run.
January 2014: Traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers
On January 7, 2014, the Chicago Bulls traded Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Andrew Bynum, multiple future draft picks, and a pick swap right. At the time of the trade, Deng was the fifth-longest-tenured Chicago Bull and the fourth-leading scorer in franchise history.
July 2014: Signs with the Miami Heat
On July 15, 2014, Luol Deng signed with the Miami Heat.
2014: Trade to Cleveland Cavaliers
Deng was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014.
June 2015: Exercises Player Option
Luol Deng exercised his player option for the 2015-16 season with the Miami Heat on June 29, 2015.
August 2015: NBA Africa Exhibition Game
On August 1, 2015, Luol Deng represented Team Africa in the NBA Africa exhibition game.
December 2015: Hamstring Injury
In late November and early December 2015, Luol Deng missed several games due to a left hamstring strain.
2015: Future Draft Picks
As part of the trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Chicago Bulls received two future second-round draft picks, one in 2015 and another in 2016. These picks were initially traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Cavaliers.
February 2016: Season-High Scoring Performance
On February 19, 2016, Luol Deng recorded a season-high 30 points in a win against the Atlanta Hawks.
July 2016: Signs with the Los Angeles Lakers
On July 7, 2016, Luol Deng signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
2016: Future Draft Picks
As part of the trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Chicago Bulls received two future second-round draft picks, one in 2015 and another in 2016. These picks were initially traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Cavaliers.
2016: Signs with Los Angeles Lakers
Deng signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016.
February 2017: Benched by Luke Walton
In February 2017, after Magic Johnson became the Lakers' president of basketball operations, coach Luke Walton decided to bench Luol Deng in favor of rookie Brandon Ingram. This effectively marked the end of Deng's meaningful playing time with the Lakers.
October 19, 2017: Last Start for the Lakers
Luol Deng's last start before joining the Minnesota Timberwolves was on October 19, 2017, while he was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.
2017: Limited Playing Time
During the 2017-18 season, Luol Deng only played in one game for the Los Angeles Lakers. He and coach Luke Walton mutually agreed that it was more beneficial for him to sit out games rather than play insignificant minutes in garbage time.
September 1, 2018: Waived and Stretched by the Lakers
On September 1, 2018, Luol Deng was waived and stretched by the Los Angeles Lakers after reaching a buyout agreement. This move allowed Deng to seek playing time elsewhere and provided the Lakers with salary cap relief.
September 10, 2018: Signs with the Minnesota Timberwolves
On September 10, 2018, Luol Deng signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves, reuniting him with former Chicago Bulls teammates Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, and head coach Tom Thibodeau.
February 11, 2019: First Start Since 2017
On February 11, 2019, Luol Deng started for the Minnesota Timberwolves in place of an ill Andrew Wiggins and scored 12 points in a season-high 37 minutes of playing time against the Los Angeles Clippers. This was Deng's first start since October 19, 2017, when he played his only game for the Lakers during the 2017-18 season.
February 27, 2019: Final NBA Game
Luol Deng played his final NBA game on February 27, 2019, in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks. In his final appearance, Deng played eight minutes and recorded one steal and one rebound.
November 2019: President of South Sudan Basketball Federation
In November 2019, Luol Deng was appointed as the President of the South Sudan Basketball Federation for a four-year term.
2019: President of the South Sudan Basketball Federation
Deng became the president of the South Sudan Basketball Federation in 2019.
2019: Salary Cap Space
The Los Angeles Lakers waived and stretched Luol Deng's contract in order to create salary cap space, with the goal of potentially offering a maximum contract to a free agent in 2019.
November 24, 2020: Becomes Head Coach of South Sudan National Team
It was reported on November 24, 2020, that Luol Deng would take on the role of head coach for the South Sudan national basketball team during the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers.
2020: Powerlist Recognition
In 2020, Luol Deng was featured in the annual Powerlist, which recognizes the most influential people in the UK of African/African-Caribbean descent.
2021: FIBA AfroBasket Qualifiers
Luol Deng served as the head coach of the South Sudan national basketball team for the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers.
2021: Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Luol Deng was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for his contributions to basketball.
2023: Assistant Coach and President of South Sudan Basketball
As of 2023, Luol Deng is serving as an assistant coach for the South Sudan men's national basketball team and holds the position of President of the South Sudan Basketball Federation.
