From Giannis Antetokounmpo to Kevin Durant, the superstar trade market is heating up. While the Antetokounmpo rumors have since settled, the Durant trade discourse has intensified. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Phoenix Suns, Durant, and his business partner have met multiple times over the past week to sift through trade scenarios.
Charania later revealed the teams that have displayed the most interest in acquiring Durant: the Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, and San Antonio Spurs. However, the ESPN reporter included an interesting tidbit soon after, relaying, "Several wild-card suitors have made inquiries on Durant in the past seven to 10 days."
The Bulls make sense as a wild-card suitor for Durant
"Wild-card suitors" makes you wonder what other teams have contacted Durant and the Suns? Surely not the Chicago Bulls, right? One can never be so sure. Chicago is one of the largest markets in the United States, and a franchise in dire need of revitalization.
Moreover, the Suns are in one of, if not the worst, salary cap predicaments in the NBA. Phoenix is coming off a 36-win season despite investing the second-most money in its roster this past season. The Suns shelled out $150 million for Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Durant alone. There's no feasible way for the Suns to build even an adequate roster with such payroll allocations.
Durant is a tremendous player, arguably a top-10 player all time. Nonetheless, what leverage do the salary cap destitute Suns have in any trade for a soon-to-be 37-year-old who's appeared in more than 62 games once this decade? Any team crippling their roster for Durant would be borderline malpractice.
With that said, it's not far-fetched to assume Chicago would inquire about Durant's services. First and foremost, the Bulls are sitting pretty, financially. Chicago has almost $50 million in luxury tax space and is roughly $34 million over the salary cap, including Josh Giddey's free agent hold.
Chicago has both the salary cap and intriguing assets to poach Durant
The Bulls have the salary cap space to take on Durant's $55 million salary next season, and the players to trade for him. For instance, a trade including Lonzo Ball, Kevin Huerter, and Nikola Vucevic works financially to acquire Durant. Of course, a trade involving the aforementioned trio for a 15-time All-Star is anything but intriguing. But that doesn't mean the Bulls don't have additional quality assets to include.
Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Julian Phillips, and Dalen Terry could surely be added to spice things up, especially White, who's coming off a terrific campaign, yet is an impending free agent in 2026. Thus, moving White before he's due a $150 million contract might be in Chicago's best interest.
Considering ESPN's hypothetical trade offers, Durant is worth a few quality rotation players and multiple future draft picks. Therefore, White, Huerter, Vucevic, a 2026 first-rounder, and a 2029 second-round pick may be enough to poach Durant.
White is the centerpiece of the trade and a fine fit next to Booker in the Suns' backcourt, lacking a point guard. Furthermore, Vucevic and Huerter are one-year rentals that provide value to any rotation. Vooch is a walking double-double who stretches the floor and is an even savvier passer than Jusuf Nurkic, who fit well in the Suns' lineup prior to being traded. Huerter is a 6-foot-7 sharpshooter capable of starting in a pinch or coming off the bench for the more apt defensive duo of Royce O'Neale and Ryan Dunn.
Although it's unforeseen to expect the Bulls, a perpetual underachiever, to trade for Durant, it's not outside the realm of possibility. Chicago needs a jolt, and for a relatively low price, Durant might just be that, especially in a weakened Eastern Conference.