Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine has been in trade talks around the NBA for years. The attention around his situation in Chicago has intensified as the season progresses. The Bulls were desperate to deal the UCLA product last offseason, but the poor market for LaVine precluded them from making a trade. Now that he has revitalized his trade value with consistent play, good health, and a positive image, teams are looking for additions to make at the trade deadline; his market has reopened.
A couple of possible destinations for LaVine have been reported and make sense for both the Bulls and the team LaVine would be going to. Out west, the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and Golden State Warriors have been in discussions, and so have the Detroit Pistons in the East. Some of these teams have emerged as more likely prospects. For the next few weeks until the February 6 trade deadline, the Bulls will work to shop their top trade commodity to the highest bidder.
LaVine Trade Speculation Heating Up
Chicago guard Zach LaVine is in the rumor mill of the NBA trade deadline this year. The team looked to trade him last offseason but couldn’t find a suitable deal. The market was depressed, and the Bulls weren’t in any hurry to sell low on one of their best remaining players after dealing DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade deal last offseason. LaVine has been the best player on Chicago so far this season, including a recent stretch of six straight games scoring 30 or more points. With a bigger market this time, it seems inevitable that he will be in a trade before the NBA trade deadline.
When it comes to finding a destination for LaVine, a couple of common options have been candidates for almost as long as the Bulls have been trying to move him. The Lakers, Warriors, and Pistons were all in the running for Zach LaVine’s services in the offseason. The offers made by the Lakers and Warriors are no longer viable with some of the roster moves those teams have made since. However, there are still options for Chicago to trade LaVine to.
Sending LaVine Closer to Home
LeBron James has recently begun his annual passive-aggressive signaling to his front office that deals be made by the Lakers ahead of the deadline. LaVine fits the bill for an available player who could play well alongside James and Anthony Davis. His shooting and ability to create quick offense in efficient late-clock situations could entice the Lakers to make a move and bring him back to his college home.
The Warriors were one of the teams the Bulls reached out to last offseason to move LaVine. The specifics of the proposal are no longer in place, so any agreement would have to have a new framework, but Golden State could reach a fork in the road in their franchise. They may turn to LaVine to try and help them gain traction in the West. Stephen Curry has made it known that he doesn’t want the Warriors to make a huge deal that mortgages their future, so finding a middle ground with a LaVine trade may be a solution.
Bulls’ Dark Horse Trade Partners
The Pistons have been a surprising team in the Eastern Conference this season. Currently, they sit at 22-21 and seventh in the East, far exceeding most expectations for the team this year. This may alter the framing of a LaVine trade from a salary dump by Chicago to an addition by Detroit. If the Pistons are serious about contending in the East, and with premier wing Jaden Ivey out for the season, this may be the time to pull the trigger on a trade. The connection of LaVine to Detroit may now be put in a different light, but it is still possible for a deal to be brokered by the deadline.
One of the dark horses that has emerged in recent weeks to land LaVine are the Nuggets. Denver is the polar opposite of the Pistons. They are not performing at the level they anticipated, creating a new need for one of the West’s top contenders. Their depleted depth and underwhelming performance around Nikola Jokic has opened up a spot for a player of LaVine’s caliber. Whether working with the second unit or filling in with the starters, LaVine has shown this year that he can be adaptable to different situations and work with different types of players, which is a key draw for Denver ahead of the deadline.
Final Thoughts
The Bulls’ primary objective between now and the trade deadline is to find the best available deal for Zach LaVine. Billy Donovan can handle the on-court operations well, but that isn’t the issue right now for Chicago’s front office. I’ve been saying since the beginning of the year that the main mission for the Bulls is to find a deal to make for LaVine. He has revitalized his value through the season’s first four months to the point where they can find a suitable deal. He has been a good player in Chicago, but at this moment, finding a destination for him and assets for the Bulls is the right move.
A big reason a deal must be made is that the Bulls 1st round draft pick in this year’s draft is top-ten protected. If Chicago finishes with a draft slot closer to the top than tenth, they retain the pick. If they finish further from the top of the draft than tenth, San Antonio takes ownership of the pick. Getting LaVine out of Chicago paves the way for young players to gain valuable experience down the season’s stretch while also helping assure the team of owning that valuable lottery pick. The Chicago Bulls have a little over two weeks to make a deal happen for LaVine.
