Getty Chicago Bulls - Zach LaVine
The Chicago Bulls probably have no chance of landing Kevin Durant, and Zach LaVine just signed a max deal to stay in the Windy City. However, the two NBA stars appear to have struck up a friendship after winning a gold medal together at the 2020 Olympics.
LaVine and Durant were spotted working out together with one of the former’s favorite trainers, Drew Hanlan, this week.
Chicago sports insider Daniel Greenberg shared the image:
While the workout isn’t likely a precursor to a superstar team-up between Durant and LaVine, it might be something that bodes well for the Bulls organization moving forward. The team hasn’t had a star(s) like LaVine and DeRozan in years who could fellowship and connect with elite players from around the league.
Chicago hasn’t been able to draw major free agents in the past. LaVine’s friendships and positive relationships with other NBA players make them more likely to be future teammates.
Zach LaVine and Kevin Durant Are a Part of the NBA’s Current Class of Elite Players
LaVine has been working with Hanlan for years and often credits him for helping to push his game to the next level. LaVine is among the league’s best pure scorers, averaging 23.7, 25.4, 27.4, and 24.4 in the past four seasons.
He helped lead the Bulls back to the playoffs last season, and the hope is that he, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and Patrick Williams can push the team into the second round this year.
Durant is apparently heading back into a team-up situation with mercurial all-world guard Kyrie Irving with the Brooklyn Nets. Durant demanded a trade earlier this offseason, but the Nets held their ground, demanding a king’s ransom from any team that expressed an interest in acquiring the future Hall-of-Famer.
With trade talks at a standstill, Durant and Nets management agreed to “move forward” with their partnership.
Durant is set to embark on his 15th season in the NBA. He is a 12-time All-Star, 4-time NBA scoring champion, 2-time NBA champion, and Finals MVP, 10-time All-NBA selection, league MVP, a member of the 75th Anniversary team, and former Rookie of the Year.
Durant needs just 87 points to move past Denver Nuggets great Alex English into 20th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Durant scored a total of 1,643 points in just 55 games last season. If he is in that range or perhaps just a bit over, he could potentially be a Top-10 scorer in league history by season’s end.
Hall-of-Famer Moses Malone is in 10th place currently, and Durant trails him by 1,883 points. Barring a significant injury, which is a real possibility with Durant, he will move past English, Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, John Havlicek, Paul Pierce, Tim Duncan, Dominique Wilkins, Oscar Robertson, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Elvin Hayes.
Bulls Notes: Chicago Has League-Low in Hiring of People of Color and Women in VP Roles
On a side note, a recent and perhaps troubling staffing report was released regarding the hiring of people of color and women for front office roles at the vice president level or higher within NBA organizations.
At least from a Bulls perspective, the troubling portion is where Chicago ranked on this specific list. According to Tidesport, in an image posted by New York Basketball, the Bulls have only 4 people of color and/or women in executive roles. Chicago and the Houston Rockets are at the bottom of the list in the league, which is 8.3 fewer than the NBA average.
According to a recent racial & gender report card of the NBA, Robert Sarver’s Phoenix Suns employed 10 people of color & women in executive roles, below the NBA average 12.3 — though that average skews higher thanks to James Dolan’s New York Knicks – 33 employed
This is an interesting but potentially unfortunate ratio that is hopefully addressed to expand the front office’s diversity level.