Veteran Chicago Bulls All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine has long been the source of rampant trade speculation. Early in the 2023-24 season, LaVine had to sit out with a foot injury. Chicago had stumbled to a miserable 5-14 start (5-13 with LaVine) and looked like one of the NBA‘s worst teams, as the chemistry between LaVine and his Bulls colleagues looked to have reached an all-time nadir.
A funny thing happened when the 6-foot-5 UCLA product sat, however. The Bulls started winning, with Most Improved Player candidate Coby White becoming a far more focal point of Billy Donovan’s offense. The Bulls went on a quick four-game winning streak and posted a 10-7 record to stabilize their still-underwhelming season.
LaVine returned in January, for just seven games, before being shut down for good. In that window, the Bulls went 5-2. After consulting with the Bulls’ medical and training staffers and LaVine’s own representation at Klutch Sports, Chicago, and its not-quite-star shooting guard ultimately opted to let LaVine go under the knife for season-ending surgery in February, according to a Bulls press statement.
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Ultimately, the two-time All-Star appeared in just 25 contests during the club’s 39-43 season. He posted averages of 19.5 points on a .452/.349/.854 slash line (that scoring output represents his lowest since becoming a Bull), 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 0.8 steals a night.
When the Bulls flipped two-time All-Defensive Team guard Alex Caruso before June’s 2024 NBA Draft in a player-for-player deal to acquire the far more raw Josh Giddey, it seemed to signify that the club was looking to prioritize youth and kick off some level of rebuild.
The Bulls’ current core, led by the 28-year-old LaVine, aging All-NBA forward DeMar DeRozan aging center Nikola Vucevic, Caruso, Patrick Williams, the contract of Lonzo Ball, and now an ascendant Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, had middling success across its three seasons together. Chicago made just one playoff appearance and finished with more than a .500 record just once in that period, in 2022, where the team was swiftly disposed of by the then-defending champion Milwaukee Bucks in a five-game first-round series.
Chicago has been play-in tournament fodder across the past two seasons, a severe waste of DeRozan’s time and talent. DeRozan, incidentally, is now a free agent, and it seems like it would benefit the 34-year-old six-time All-Star to at least explore options elsewhere. The Bulls, meanwhile, have found a frigid trade market in which to dump LaVine, who despite his pedigree as a terrific three-level scorer has become unappealing thanks to his horrible defense, history of major surgeries, and bloated contract, which will pay him $138 million across the next three years, provided he picks up his $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Chicago has been struggling to ship out LaVine, even including a first-round draft pick to get off his money. Considering that he had looked like one of the NBA‘s best scorers just a few years ago, this is disappointing news for all involved parties. The Bulls are looking for some cap space relief amidst their anticipated tank, while LaVine could thrive in the right system, even if he is a bit overpaid.
Marks notes that assuming Chicago can’t find a trade partner, LaVine and his massive contract could stay at the United Center this offseason.
But all hope isn’t lost just yet. With five-time All-Star marksman and four-time champion shooting guard/small forward Klay Thompson expected to depart in free agency, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reports that the Golden State Warriors might look to acquire LaVine or one-time New Orleans Pelicans All-Star forward Brandon Ingram via trade.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
