NEWSLETTER
Most of our attention lately has been put toward the 2020 NBA draft, and rightfully so. The Chicago Bulls have been connected to a number of top prospects, yet no one seems to have any idea which direction this new front office will go on draft night. However, whatever decision Arturas Karnisovas makes on November 18th will just be the beginning of broader, undeniable change.
Indeed, the Bulls are also rumored to be one the most active teams in the league right now. And according to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, it looks like other teams are already trying to take advantage (emphasis mine):
The Bulls are seeking a playmaker with this pick, and most executives across the league expect them to take Ball if he is still on the board. Ball would add a vibrant playmaking presence to a team in desperate need of it. Selecting Ball would likely mean more changes are on the horizon, particularly in the backcourt. Multiple teams, including the Mavericks, have already inquired this offseason about trading for Zach LaVine.
And so it begins.
Zach LaVine Trade History
While this is the first time this offseason we have heard a legitimate rumor about interest in Bulls star Zach LaVine, I don’t think it will catch anyone off guard. LaVine has not only been the victim of trade speculation for the better part of the past year, but we also know that teams have contacted the Bulls about his availability for quite some time. ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported back in February that “good teams” called Chicago about a trade, but former front office leader John Paxson wouldn’t even pick up the phone. Then, when Karnisovas took over the organization this summer, reports started to resurface about certain teams “monitoring” LaVine’s situation. So, to say a potential LaVine trade has not been a continued conversation would be flat-out wrong.
Trade Probability
With that said, moving LaVine does feel more likely than ever.
With the draft around the corner, there is a very real possibility the Bulls add another piece to their backcourt. NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson reported in October that there is a belief that the Bulls new front office views Coby White as more of a scoring guard. If that is the case, they could add a true facilitator in the draft or free agency and consider playing White more at the two, leaving themselves the option to move on from LaVine.
Trade Value and Return
We also can’t deny the fact that LaVine is easily the most valuable asset on this roster. Karisovas and his front office have no prior relationship with the borderline All-Star, which means they could feel more than comfortable trading him away for a return that helps transform this squad into something more their own.
Hammering home exactly what that return would look like, though, is hard to do. Zach LaVine is owned a very reasonable $19.5 million over each of the next two seasons, so the team could use that fact as leverage to better a return.
For the Mavericks, specifically, a trade could come rather easy if the Bulls would accept Tim Hardaway Jr. in the deal (owed $18.1 million next season with a player option of $18.9 million in 2021-22) … but I’m not sure that tickles anyone’s fancy. LaVine’s value to the Bulls far exceed Hardaway’s to the Mavericks, so I can’t see the Bulls jumping at any kind of offer centered around him. The next thing to do would be to look at the available draft picks, which I’m sure Karnisovas would be happy to accumulate, but the Mavericks don’t have anything that sexy to offer (just some second-rounders and a 2022 first-rounder).
My guess is that if LaVine is on the move, the Bulls would have to look elsewhere for a worthy return. The good news for them is that I’m sure plenty of other teams would be interested if he legitimately popped up on the trading block.
Remember, though, O’Connor did not say the Bulls were the ones sniffing around for a trade but rather other teams were knocking on Chicago’s door. We still have no clue if the Bulls front office has any plans to get rid of LaVine right now, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
