Like all 30 NBA teams starting their free-agent period on Thursday, the Bulls had a plan.
Kevin Durant almost set it on fire.
When the two-time NBA Finals MVP announced he wanted to be traded out of Brooklyn, the anticipated deals quickly fell by the wayside as teams tried to reposition themselves to at least make an offer.
According to a source, the Bulls were part of those calls even though Durant reportedly included the Heat and Suns among his targets of choice — and despite the fact that the Bulls don’t have the kind of high-profile player or quality of draft picks that the Nets are after in looking for a trade pack.
The Bulls still achieved their primary goal on the first day of the free hand, which was to meet with unrestricted free-agent guard Zach LaVine on a maximum contract that would keep him in Chicago for at least the next five years.
Sources say the Bulls remain confident LaVine will agree to a nearly $215 million contract — the most a team can offer — even as the two-time All-Star waits to hear any offers in the process.
It would be a steep price to pay for the Bulls — but it would also be a price to pay for an NBA team still trying to polish its image and become a perennial favorite.
When Arturas Karnisovas took over as executive vice president of basketball operations in 2020, the Bulls had a reputation for being an organization where coaches were abused. Her take on Billy Donovan changed that.
The previous front office also had a rep because it lacked the creativity to nab a big-name trade candidate or attract all-star caliber talent. Magic’s acquisition of Nikola Vucevic last March, followed by sign-and-trades for DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball last offseason, began to change that.
But the cops also had a history of not caring about their own. And in that regard, LaVine’s upcoming signing is bigger than just tying an elite scorer who has improved in nearly every category since becoming a Bull in 2017. The Karnisovas-led front office effectively shows players it’s doing the right thing to make things better – and is rewarded.
If LaVine re-signs anytime soon, that doesn’t necessarily change where the Bulls fit into the Eastern Conference power structure. Butit would keep the face of the franchise in a town he’s embraced since arriving in a draft night deal for Jimmy Butler. And even maximum supply alone could help the bulls’ reputation and lead to a bigger payout in the years to come.
LaVine and core teammates have asked for him to stay since the Bulls were ousted in the first round of the playoffs.
“Max player, max talent, max everything,” veteran DeRozan said of LaVine. “He’s one of those players in this league that you don’t see too often. I tell him all the time how jealous I am of the things he can do. He certainly deserves everything that comes to him.”
Aside from talks with LaVine, the Bulls also addressed their rebound issues on Thursday. They agreed to a two-year, $6.6 million deal with veteran big man Andre Drummond. The second year of the deal is reportedly a player option.