Kyrie Irving to the Brooklyn Nets could still happen in free agency. Could the Chicago Bulls jump into the mix if the Nets lose interest?
The free agent market is ripe with point guard talent this year, and possibly the biggest name available is the former Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics All-Star and NBA Champion Kyrie Irving. Not only is Kyrie a top talent for this free agent cycle, he’s a interesting case that keeps filling up headlines. A lot of the discussion surrounding Kyrie’s free agency situation isn’t good either. This doesn’t seem like a free agent the Chicago Bulls will be in play for.
But free agency situations change, and this summer is sure to be filled with drama among the top stars hitting the open market.
Considering the star power and level of talent that Kyrie brings to the table as an All-Star caliber floor general that is just breaking into his prime years, the fact that he’s having trouble finding a good free agency destination is a poor sign of what’s to come. It looked as if the Brooklyn Nets were a favorite to nab him, but even that traction plateaued a bit of late.
What could be the Bulls role here in pursuing Kyrie? In all likelihood, Gar Forman and John Paxson will remain bystanders during his free agency next month. He’s going to be an expensive get for the Bulls, but his talent level and star status could be worth it if coming to the Windy City intrigues him.
By no means would Kyrie be the best solution for the Bulls to find a star. Although he would be the only star looking the Bulls way that could fill a positional need this offseason. If GarPax managed to free up about another $5-7 million in cap space in the next two or three weeks, the Bulls could offer Kyrie at or close to a max deal.
There could be a package deal in play for Kyrie this summer, to go along with the Golden State Warrios and former Oklahoma City Thunder superstar forward Kevin Durant. But it will be a long time before KD is ready to go after rupturing his Achilles in the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.
According to Bleacher Report, the “buzz around the league” holds it that Kyrie is still a favorite to land with the Nets. That could also mean that the Nets could sign KD and hold out until he recovers from that Achilles injury in a year or two.
However, the Chicago Bulls should still keep an eye on what is happening with Kyrie. The drama he brings to the locker room still isn’t enough for the Bulls to turn him away should he have some level of intrigue in landing in the Windy City. It would be a fun backcourt trio with him, first round pick Coby White, and shooting guard Zach LaVine with the Bulls.