The Chicago Bulls season came to a disappointing end this year. After losing in the first round of the playoffs a lot of people are looking for change heading into the offseason. Another team had a similar fate this season and that was the Brooklyn Nets. They are the only team to be swept in this year’s playoffs and that didn’t sit right with the players and the fans. One notable Net player hasn’t even been in contact with the team since the season ended.
Kevin Durant and the Nets front office haven’t spoken since their season ended, per @Krisplashed pic.twitter.com/b0UP9IOBR8
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 25, 2022
Nets forward Kevin Durant is so upset with the outcome of this year’s season that he hasn’t spoken to the front office since the season ended. That’s a pretty big deal when he’s one of the team’s two superstars. This could be a major talking point as the NBA season is coming to an end. Meanwhile, the Bulls are in the midst of a huge free agency decision with shooting guard Zach LaVine. LaVine holds all the power with his decision and could decide to leave. If that’s the case the Bulls need to go all-in on Kevin Durant. The big question is would Durant even be interested in coming to Chicago?
The Bulls made an impact on Durant this season
During this past season, the Bulls took the regular-season series against the Brooklyn Nets 2-1. After the Nets blew out the Bulls in the final game of the series Durant made comments on Chicago basketball and the status of the team.
“This team has been extremely (good). The crowd is starting to rally around the team, the city. You can feel it that they’re starting to understand that Chicago Bulls basketball is back.”
Durant could tell Chicago basketball was coming back to its true form. He can see the development and the big changes the front office has made. If he’s going to leave Brooklyn why wouldn’t he want to go somewhere with a solid front office and a team that’s trending upwards?
Another piece of this puzzle is Kevin’s respect for Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan. If the Bulls are going to bring in Durant then DeRozan will be a piece that stays for the Bulls. For making the case that Durant would want to come to the Bulls this is a huge positive.
Thank you for setting a great example and playing the game with supreme skill @DeMar_DeRozan
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) February 17, 2022
Durant appreciates the way DeRozan plays the game and heading to Chicago where he can play with someone who isn’t going to jeopardize team success would be a refreshing reset for Durant. If Durant is serious about leaving Brooklyn you have to think these factors will certainly come into play when making a decision. Even beyond this past season, Durant has touched on the basketball legacy in Chicago and now he could have an opportunity to become part of that legacy.
Durant can become part of Bull’s history just like the GOAT
The discussion around who is the greatest player of all time may never come to an agreed-upon winner. Kevin Durant however has touched on this debate and given everyone his thoughts. Durant has taken multiple approaches to this topic one of them being, just appreciating greatness. KD made the point that LeBron James and Michael Jordan will never play against each other so why compare the two? This is a popular approach however in a separate discussion on Michael Jordan, Durant was quoted as saying Jordan was a “god-like figure” in the game of basketball.
Being able to play for the same franchise as the greatest player of all time would only help cement Durant’s legacy. He knows the legacy that comes with the Chicago Bulls. If he wants to continue to add more accolades to his career Chicago should be a serious consideration. There are clearly valid reasons why Durant may consider coming to Chicago so now it’s time to see if the Bulls could make this work.
If LaVine leaves this plan could be set in motion
This possibility fully relies on Zach LaVine leaving the Bulls in free agency. If LaVine stays (which isn’t a bad thing) then the Bulls won’t be able to make this work financially. However, the most recent rumors make it seem like LaVine could be headed to LA. With that being said the Bulls would be in a position to make this trade work if that’s the case. There are three players the Bulls could send to Brooklyn for Durant.
This potential trade would have the Bulls send three players to Brooklyn. Center Nikola Vucevic, forward Patrick Williams and guard Coby White. If the Nets are going to be losing Durant they will likely be looking for some young pieces and this is exactly what they would get. Sure, the Bulls will be losing some nice pieces but they can rebuild through free agency to build the rest of the team.
This would add one of the best offensive players in the NBA to Chicago. Maybe some future draft picks are thrown in to complete this trade. These teams could make this work if all the dominoes fall into place. The rift between Brooklyn and its stars appears to be present. If it continues to get worse expect Kyrie Irving to leave. After this Durant will surely be the next to depart. A lot of pieces will need to fall into place for this to happen. If they do you can fully expect the Bull’s front office to make a run for Durant.
