Kevin Durant has been the debate of the NBA international since asking for a business from the Brooklyn Nets on June 30.

That discourse simplest intensified with Monday morning’s slew of stories connecting the Nets and Boston Celtics in business talks.

The Chicago Bulls have all the time been a longshot to land Durant. But when he’s traded, they may be able to nonetheless stand to learn — or be harm — via a shift within the league’s stability of energy.

Listed here are 3 of the Bulls’ worst-case locations for Durant:

Boston Celtics

Wonder, wonder.

The Celtics are already the reigning Jap Convention champions with a burgeoning younger core to construct upon shifting ahead. Even though a transfer for Durant price them Jaylen Brown, pairing Durant with Jayson Tatum could be a downright deadly aggregate, particularly given the encircling defensive infrastructure.

The Celtics already projected to be a tier above the Bulls within the Jap Convention hierarchy — and some of the favorites to contend for an NBA name subsequent season. With Durant aboard, they might have the possible to ascend even upper.

And, sadly for the remainder of the convention, it looks as if they are within the combine.

Miami Warmth

In keeping with more than one studies, the Warmth and Suns are atop Durant’s most popular business locations. Him touchdown in Miami would, clearly, be a disastrous consequence for the Bulls.

The Warmth, which completed closing steady season because the East’s No. 1 seed, have been already a reputedly unsolvable impediment for the Bulls. They went 0-4 towards Miami of their 2021-22 regular-season collection, dropping the video games via a mean of 12.5 issues.

 

Including Durant to that blend undoubtedly would not give a boost to the Bulls’ probabilities of matching up neatly, particularly if the Warmth have been ready to tug a deal off with out parting with Bam Adebayo or Jimmy Butler.

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors have not (but?) been connected to Durant in as company a way because the Celtics or Warmth. However they’ve various younger avid gamers that would hobby the Nets — from OG Anunoby to Pascal Siakam to Scottie Barnes to Fred VanVleet — and a lead government in Masai Ujiri that has a historical past of seismic strikes (see: his 2018 business for Kawhi Leonard).

Whilst this one may well be extra of a longshot than the Warmth or Celtics, a business to the Raptors would have extra intimate have an effect on at the Bulls. Toronto completed one spot above them within the East closing season after weeks of jockeying for place. A business for Durant would vault them into a distinct stratosphere.

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