With the 2023 NBA trade deadline attracting all eyes elsewhere, nobody could have seen these recent developments regarding Kyrie Irving coming. The only thing as surprising as Irving’s impromptu trade request was speed at which Brooklyn pulled the trigger on a trade to send him to the Dallas Mavericks. Exchanging Kyrie for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round pick and a pair of second-rounders, the Nets are now forced to quickly pick up the pieces before things get out of hand here.
Due to the impact losing Lonzo Ball has had on this Chicago Bulls team, the Windy City actually emerged as a likely destination for Kyrie’s services according to oddsmakers. Now that Dallas has pulled the trigger and Kyrie is safely off the market, Bulls fans everywhere can believe a collective sigh of relief.
While the Bulls may have felt like an ideal fit to the Vegas sportsbooks, the only teams that came out to make official offers for Irving are the Lakers, Clippers, Suns, and Mavericks. Regardless of which team came out on top, it’s a relief to know that Kyrie’s departure would have removed another obstacles for the Bulls in the Eastern Conference.
With two upcoming games against the Nets in February, the Bulls have a chance to capitalize on Brooklyn’s roster turnover and complete the sweep after having already gone up 2-0 in the season series. The Bulls currently possess 25-27 record and will really need every win to count along the way to the postseason.
Kyrie Irving’s recent disruption of an Eastern Conference powerhouse could open up a big opportunity for the Chicago Bulls.
The Nets have been much better than expected since the firing Steve Nash, bouncing back from a slow start to reach a solid 32-20 record and 4th seed position in the East. That being said, the Bulls are just 7 games behind Brooklyn and could possibly stand to make a leap in the standings if the Nets internally combust.
This much is especially true if Kevin Durant also requests a trade, as he had already done at the start of the season. Rival teams are already monitoring his status if he’s made available. With the Bulls only 3 games behind the 6th-seeded Heat, their playoff hopes become far more favorable with each subsequent star that’s dealt out of the conference.
The Phoenix Suns are prepared to pursue Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant should he become available, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 5, 2023
If Durant is truly made available on the market, this news brings a potential KD to Chicago trade scenario back on the table as well. While I believe this is highly unlikely to happen, it’s fun to harbor the idea while I still can. If he doesn’t come to Chicago, at the very least, I’d be happy to see KD sent back out West after a summer that saw many stars like Donovan Mitchell, Dejounte Murray, and Jalen Brunson all flock to the East.
For a team as desperate to avoid the play-in tournament as the Bulls, any bad news for Eastern Conference contenders is good news for Chicago. Considering Kyrie Irving has defeated the Bulls 7 times in their last 11 meetings, I’m perfectly fine with seeing him a few less times each season.