NEWSLETTER
Due to his season-ending foot injury, Zach LaVine became an afterthought to finish out the regular season. But that’s about to change.
Arguably the biggest talking point around the Chicago Bulls this offseason will be the future of LaVine. One of the NBA’s worst-kept secrets is that the organization would like to move on from their max player. And we all know LaVine isn’t opposed to relocating.
Still, there have been a lot of questions about whether or not the right deal can come together. LaVine is owed $130 million over the next three seasons, and he now has a season-ending foot surgery to pair with multiple past knee surgeries. Not to mention, he has only four playoff games under his belt despite a decade-long NBA career. Is he still a remarkably talented scorer? Absolutely, and that is precisely why the Bulls would love to get at least something of value in return for him. At the same time, nobody can deny the validity of those other concerns.
The good news for the Bulls is that the NBA is an ever-changing ecosystem. Just because the team has struggled to find the right trade partner for LaVine thus far doesn’t mean that will continue.
Latest Zach LaVine Trade Rumors:
In fact, this was precisely the point of K.C. Johnson’s latest report for NBC Sports Chicago. According to the long-time beat reporter, rival executives now believe the Bulls could find someone interested in LaVine as soon as this summer.
“Multiple outlets, including NBC Sports Chicago, have reported that management’s main offseason priority is trading LaVine. At first, a prevailing line of thinking emerged that LaVine, especially with so much money remaining on his deal, would have to show teams that he’s healthy in order to be traded. In other words, that his trade market might not develop until closer to the February 2025 trade deadline.
Multiple rival executives no longer believe this is the case. Playoffs, and playoff failures, can change rival franchises’ thinking.”
Johnson goes on to speculate about multiple playoff-caliber teams who could possibly make sense as a LaVine suitor and also provides an update on LaVine’s health. I highly encourage you to read his full commentary here.
I have to admit, I find this report to be a pretty darn encouraging way to begin the offseason. While I’m not ready to say I believe the Bulls will get a deal done over the next few months, my expectations had been extremely low before this.
Generally speaking, reports from “rival” executives often hold less water when it’s about a player on another team, but this is different. The market ultimately dictates how easy it is to move a player. Arturas Karnisovas can think he’s got a worthwhile asset all he wants, but it takes two to tango. This news now gives us some hope that Chicago can find a dance partner sooner rather than later. I’d say it also suggests that multiple options could be waiting on the dance floor, which paves the way for Chicago to generate some value.
Is this to say I think the tide has completely turned and the Bulls are about to get a haul for LaVine? No. The front office has still handled this situation very poorly and put themselves in a position to accept an underwhelming trade return. However, we were having conversations earlier this season about the Bulls potentially begging someone to take LaVine off their hands by attaching an asset. I like this better!
So which teams might throw their hat in the LaVine sweepstakes? Well, I think the Los Angeles Lakers have to be thrown into the conversation again after another early exit. Philadelphia and Miami also feel like teams we’ll have to keep an eye on. Regardless, I think this conversation is best saved for later in the offseason. The more teams that get bounced, the more will hear about their offseason plans.
Stay tuned!
