Getty Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving looks on prior to a game against the Chicago Bulls.
Kyrie Irving is once again the talk of the NBA. Mere days after making a formal trade request amid failed negotiations between himself and the Brooklyn Nets on a potential contract extension, the eight-time All-Star looks to have been dealt to the Dallas Mavericks.
By offering a package that included Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, an unprotected first-round pick in 2029 and second-round picks in 2027 and ’29 (per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski), the Mavs were able to outbid other interested parties like the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns.
While the Chicago Bulls never garnered much mention from the hoops press as potential suitors, oddsmakers had initially listed the club among the favorites to land Irving (as a +700 bet, but still).
Before the Mavs trade went down, though, NBC Sports Chicago’s KC Johnson rebuffed the notion that the Bulls would be making a play for Irving. Ahead of the Bulls’ bout with the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, Johnson opined that the very notion “kind of flies in the face of everything this front office has talked about in terms of continuity and trying to win with what they have.”
Even so — and regardless of the fact that Kyrie is now Dallas-bound — there may still be a way for the Bulls to get in on the action.
Bulls Insider KC Johnson Discusses the Roundabout Possibility of a Three-Way Kyrie Irving Trade
While Johnson clearly never bought into the Bulls as a team that could land Irving ahead of the trade deadline, the club insider could envision a scenario in which Chicago entered the fray as a third party to help facilitate a larger Irving trade.
“One thing you could see is perhaps a three-way trade opening up that, right now, is not on the table or talked about. Between now and the deadline, maybe there’s an opportunity where you get involved in a three-way deal where a big contract is moved because Kyrie’s contract is so big,” Johnson said.
Again, these comments were made before the Dallas news dropped. But with Irving’s physical not happening until Monday, and people like The Athletic’s John Hollinger already saying the Nets could their trade call up to see if they can flip Dinwiddie, Finney-Smith and the first-rounder in a three-way deal netting another star, there may be some possibilities there for the Bulls.
That said, Johnson made it clear on Saturday that he expects the Irving situation to play itself out sans Chicago.
“I don’t see that happening, but that’s certainly one possibility. Because, as we know, if nothing else the trade deadline is a fluid situation.”
Why Weren’t the Bulls Looking at Bringing Kyrie to the Windy City?
Johnson wasn’t making any kind of commentary on Irving’s hardwood exploits when he pushed back on the idea of the Bulls acquiring him. And few would given the 27-5-5 line he’s posting this season (while also hitting 37.4% of his attempts from three-point range).
The stuff away from the court was another matter entirely, though.
“Kyrie, obviously, is a sublime talent — there’s no arguing that. But this franchise historically has steered away from players who can cause problems off the court. And I’m not saying Kyrie has done that, but he certainly creates headlines off the court. Some of them can be unnecessary at times,” Johnson said.
“So, that, to me, is inconsistent with how this franchise does business…”