Getty Zach LaVine defends Kyrie Irving during a game between the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets.
In the wake of Kyrie Irving’s apparent request to be traded by the Brooklyn Nets, a handful of clubs are emerging as potential suitors. Per The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks could all make offers for the eight-time All-Star.
Given their middling position in the Eastern Conference and the continued uncertainty regarding the state of Lonzo Ball’s knee, one could make the case that the Chicago Bulls should be making a run at Irving, too.
Whether they join the Kyrie sweepstakes or not, though, the Bulls have probably reached a point where some kind of move needs to be made, be it a big, bold win-now play or a hard pivot into the painful (but necessary?) realm of rebuilding.
However, in his latest round of NBA trade deadline predictions, Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale opined that the Bulls and chief decision-makers Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley are more likely to sideline themselves than actually pick a lane for moving forward.
B/R: Bulls Unlikely to Make Organizational Shift Ahead of NBA Trade Deadline
Favale didn’t just brand the Bulls as a team likely to take a conservative approach at the deadline. Rather, the hoops scribe basically flamed the front office for not having a real plan (or, more specifically, a plan for rebuilding).
“Organizations who practice the ancient art of ‘Actual Forethought’ would write off this experiment-gone-astray as a sunk cost and look to reload the asset cupboard and drum up flexibility for the future,” Favale wrote. “The Bulls have never really been that team. They’re not about to start now.”
That’s not to say that Favale thinks that no moves will be made; he just doesn’t see anything substantial happening at the deadline — as part of a rebuilding effort or otherwise.
“Maybe Chicago moves Coby White (restricted free agent this summer) or Goran Dragic or Andre Drummond,” Favale added. “It will be a genuine, jaw-dropping surprise if it has the stomach to deal any of the ‘core’ players.”
Bulls Among Favorites to Land Kyrie, Per Sportsbook
While Favale doesn’t envision the Bulls making even a moderate splash at the deadline and the team wasn’t mentioned at all by Charania as a potential suitor for Irving, oddsmakers have an entirely different outlook on the situation.
The folks at PointsBet Sportsbook were at the ready with odds on Kyrie’s next team mere moments after word of the baller’s apparent trade request had begun to spread. And while some of the same teams that Charania reported on — namely, the Lakers and Mavs — were given better odds, the Bulls were listed among the betting favorites, too.
Here’s how the odds on Irving’s next team are shaking out currently:
Los Angeles Lakers +125
Miami Heat +275
Dallas Mavericks +375
Los Angeles Clippers +400
Chicago Bulls +700
Atlanta Hawks +1000
Utah Jazz +1000
He may be controversial figure, but Irving’s status as one of the Association’s most electrifying scorers remains firmly intact. Through 40 appearances this season, the 30-year-old is averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds per contest with 49-37-88 shooting splits.