Getty Zach Lavine #8 of the Chicago Bulls.
Chicago Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Aruturas Karnisovas vowed to bring changes to a group that has grown stale in three seasons together.
How drastic those changes will be remains to be seen. But Karnisovas’ opportunity to swing for the fences could be staring him directly in the face in the 2024 playoffs despite the Bulls’ absence from them.
Karnisovas could – and perhaps should – make a bid on Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant.
With Durant’s comments coming out of the Suns’ sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, there might not be a better time to pounce.
Durant felt left out of the Suns’ offense at times this season, relegated to standing in the corner, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Doug Haller on April 28. The Bulls may not seem equipped to correct that without a true point guard. But they are set up for a player like Durant.
And the Bulls have a ready-made trade chip in two-time All-Star Zach LaVine.
This hypothetical trade package could be enough to keep both parties satisfied as they look to rebound from disappointing seasons.
Bulls get:
– Kevin Durant
Suns get:
– Zach LaVine
– Jevon Carter
– 2024 first-round pick
– 2027 first-round pick
KD with the tough finish over the defense 👀
Durant has not asked for a trade. But it would not be his first time being traded, and the Bulls have actively sought to trade LaVine since the trade deadline in 2022-23. Carter’s inclusion is a function of his failed first tour in Chicago this past season.
Bulls Could Make Final Push With Kevin Durant Alongside Veteran Core
The Bulls would get off two bulky contracts for one, adding less than $1 million to the books while giving them an out on Durant after two seasons rather than three with LaVine.
The Bulls duo is set to cost a combined $49.5 million next season.
Durant is going into the third year of a four-year, $194.2 million contract with a $49.8 million salary in 2024-25. LaVine is going into Year 3 of a five-year, $215.1 million pact while Carter hits Year 2 in his three-year, $19.5 million deal.
Durant has always had a mutual respect for Bulls star DeMar DeRozan. The latter’s fit alongside LaVine has been among the myriad issues the Bulls have faced in recent years.
Moving on from the high-flying guard for the 14-time All-Star and 2013-14 MVP, Durant could make a lot of sense for a Bulls team averse to tanking. They’ve also had uneven results from their draft classes and have another veteran, Nikola Vucevic, locked in.
That could ease the burden of parting with future draft capital which has burned them before.
Bulls Should Call Suns About Kevin Durant Trade
Devin Booker operated primarily as the Suns’ point guard this past season. They might prefer to find a more traditional point guard to pair with him, and Bradley Beal’s presence on the roster could be a non-starter for the above scenario.
Still, LaVine could bring athleticism alongside Booker in the backcourt while Carter offers an option off the bench. He spent two seasons with the Suns from 2019 through 2021.
His role with the Bulls was inconsistent and possibly the biggest factor in his poor production.
This is also a rare situation where the Bulls can argue LaVine is less of an injury risk. Durant boasts a lengthy history. But the payoff they have experienced targeting aging veterans and their situation with LaVine could be more than convincing enough to make the call to Phoenix.
The Bulls would still have their backcourt of Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White unless the Suns insist on including one in a move that should raise their ceiling enough to satisfy Karnisovas.