The Chicago Bulls have presumably answered a lot of phone calls over the last couple of weeks, but it doesn’t sound like any have come from the Klutch offices.
Despite the seemingly endless trade rumors surrounding Zach LaVine, he reportedly has little interest in leaving Chicago. Check out our post from earlier today for more on that rumor.
- Do I think Zach LaVine wants to play winning basketball? Of course. He has one winning season over his 11 years in the NBA. I have to imagine that keeps him awake some nights (until he sniffs the pile of cash on his nightstand and falls soundly back to sleep). Likewise, having it leak now that he does want a trade isn’t necessarily going to help him or the Bulls. He has appeared like nothing short of a true professional so far this season. Combine that with his stellar play on the court, and LaVine could look that much more appealing to contenders as the deadline nears. In other words, not leaking that he wants a trade could actually help make a trade happen!
- Having said that, I can also genuinely believe that LaVine prefers to stay in Chicago until at least this offseason. A mid-season trade isn’t easy on any family, and he may also be able to have a greater say in his potential landing spot during the summer (when teams have a lot more flexibility). Nevertheless, what LaVine prefers shouldn’t really matter. The front office has to do what is best for the organization, which could very well mean trading him at this year’s deadline if a solid deal arises.
- Speaking of LaVine, the 29-year-old has surpassed 10,000 career points in a Bulls uniform. He joins Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Bob Love, Loul Deng, and Jerry Sloan as the sixth Bull to break this threshold. If he does manage to stay in Chicago for the remainder of the season, he could finish the year as one of the franchise’s top 4 all-time scorers. Say what you will about the guy, but that’s a pretty remarkable accomplishment.
- I wonder if Zach LaVine’s desire to stay changed after last night’s embarrassment. The Chicago Bulls got their teeth kicked in by the Golden State Warriors’ bench. The Warriors’ second unit scored 83 of the team’s 131 points and nailed 18 of their 25 total threes. Gui Santos and Quenton Post combined for a 10-16 shooting display from downtown. Haven’t heard of them before? I don’t blame you! Santos has only played 43 career games, while Post was appearing in only his sixth-ever NBA contest. Only the Bulls!
- If one thing is for sure, Quenton Post’s success last night may have only made a stronger case for Golden State to go after Nikola Vucevic. The seven-foot stretch big looked more than comfortable in the team’s pass-happy, floor-spacing offense. Could Golden State simply opt to give Post more minutes as they look to turn their season around? Sure. But Post is a rookie on a two-way contract. Trusting him to play with the kind of consistency the Warriors need would be a huge risk. If anything, he has shown the benefits of pairing Stephen Curry and Company with a real stretch five, so why not go grab one of the best in the league?
- What a fun stat? Josh Giddey guard has averaged 9.4 rebounds per game since Dec. 28, 2024. He has nine games with 10+ rebounds over this stretch (14 games) and now has 12 total games with double-digit boards this season. This already surpasses his total of nine from the 2023-24 campaign! Look, the 22-year-old has been far from perfect during his first season with the Bulls, but he deserves a lot of credit for his effort on the glass. You can tell he’s trying to find a way to positively impact the game on a nightly basis, and I respect that.
- What a not-so-fun stat? The Bulls have drawn only five charges this season, which is second-lowest in the league in front of only the Suns. There are 32 players so far this season who have drawn either the same or more than the entire Bulls team. And, yes, that includes Alex Caruso (seven).
- Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times painted a concerning picture of Coby White’s injury status. The guard had more imaging done while on the West Coast and is apparently dealing with some bone bruising. Billy Donovan wasn’t sure exactly what this would mean, but he basically did rule him out for this weekend’s meeting with the 76ers. All they can do is wait to see how White is feeling later in the week.
- Joakim Noah told the most Thibs story ever during an appearance on The Young Man and the Three Podcast. After a long flight to Rio in 2013, the former Bulls head coach immediately held a long practice, and Noah is still bitter about it!
- MATAS BUZELIS SNUBBED!
- The Blackhawks trade buzz is heating up. Tab gave a rundown of all the latest here.
- Ben Johnson is on a search for his new staff, and he sent out an interview request to another division rival.
- After a big trade this offseason, the Chicago Cubs now have two of the best right-fielders in baseball!
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