NBA Rumors: Kevin Durant To Bulls For DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams, Coby White & Draft Picks In Proposed Trade

One of the potential suitors for Durant on the trade market is the Chicago Bulls. In a recent article, Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report came up with a hypothetical blockbuster trade idea that would enable the Bulls to acquire Durant from the Nets this offseason.

In the proposed trade scenario, the Bulls would be sending a trade package that includes DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams, Coby White, a 2023 first-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2029 first-round pick, and the rights to swap first-round selections in 2028 to the Nets in exchange for Durant.

Though it would cost them a plethora of trade assets, swapping DeRozan for Durant would make a lot of sense for the Bulls, especially if they want to take things to the next level in the 2022-23 NBA season. Both superstars may already be on the wrong side of 30, but most people would agree that Durant is better than DeRozan.

Aside from his superiority in terms of skill set, Durant has been to the NBA Finals on three occasions and helped the Golden State Warriors win back-to-back NBA championship titles in 2017 and 2018.

Durant would be an incredible addition to the Bulls. His potential arrival in Windy City would significantly improve the Bulls' offensive efficiency which ranked No. 11 in the league last season, scoring 111.0 points per 100 possessions. He would give the Bulls a more reliable No. 1 scoring option, a great rebounder, on-court facilitator, one-on-one defender, and floor spacer.

Last season, Durant averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists while shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from beyond the arc. Adding him to the core of Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball, and Nikola Vucevic would strengthen their chances of beating Eastern Conference powerhouse teams like the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Milwaukee Bucks in a best-of-seven series.

The proposed blockbuster deal would also be worth exploring for the Nets. As Hughes noted, it would give them the option to remain competitive or immediately undergo a rebuilding process.

"Brooklyn gets optionality here," Hughes wrote. "DeRozan and Ben Simmons would be a difficult fit with poor spacing, but one or the other could easily be moved in a subsequent deal. This is all about asset accumulation for the Nets, and DeRozan, coming off a year that involved several weeks of fringe MVP consideration, very much counts as an asset. Brooklyn could also re-route Williams, White, and all the picks for more win-now help if it isn't willing to wait on player development."