LaVine And Bulls Could Work Together To Find Him A Trade Out Of Chicago

Forbes Business SportsMoney LaVine And Bulls Could Work Together To Find Him A Trade Out Of Chicago Morten Stig Jensen Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I cover a wide variety of subjects within the NBA. Following Click to save this article.

You’ll be asked to sign into your Forbes account. Nov 14, 2023, 06:09pm EST Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 12: Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls dunks in the first half against . .

. [+] the Detroit Pistons at the United Center on November 12, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.

(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) Getty Images After years of speculation, the Chicago Bulls and Zach LaVine seem open to finding the former All-Star a new home, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. LaVine, one of the league’s most explosive off-ball scorers, should have a market considering his combination of elite athleticism, and three-point shooting capabilities. However, eyebrows are concurrently raised at the Bulls for the timing of this development.

Not only did the Bulls forego the chance to blow up their roster by last season’s February trade deadline, but they did so before the new CBA, which have harsher restrictions, leading teams to value draft picks to a higher extent. Basically, odds are strong that the Bulls could have fetched more for LaVine in February, than they can now. The same would apply for DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević as well, which in hindsight seems like a wasted opportunity.

Then there’s little wrinkle, which flies under the radar. If the Bulls are to receive young players and draft selections for LaVine, does that even count as an asset for the Bulls, given their poor draft record, recent lack of ability to develop players who have improved elsewhere? MORE FOR YOU In The Early Going, The Houston Rockets Are The Surprise Team Of 2023-2024 The Cavinder Twins Talk Next Steps In Basketball And Entrepreneurship Luka Doncic And Kyrie Irving Lead The Dallas Mavericks Fast Paced Offense Lauri Markkanen, a former 2017 first-round draft pick of the Bulls, is now an NBA All-Star. Wendell Carter Jr, now in Orlando, has seen his game grow since arriving in Florida.

Meanwhile, Chicago’s 2020 first-round selection, Patrick Williams, has played uninspired basketball, and looks far from worth the fourth overall pick the Bulls used on him. Would a package of picks be outright wasted by the Bulls, who seem to struggle greatly with player development? If you’re an upcoming draft prospect, and you’re looking at Chicago’s recent track record, you at the very least will be open to alternatives. Because that situation should not look particularly attractive right now.

Of course, the Bulls still seem interested in extending DeRozan, which could imply they’re looking for established players in return. Only, the Bulls may have missed the memo that pulling off win-now player for win-now player trades has gotten increasingly difficult over the past decade, seeing as those type of teams are in direct competition with each other. Dealing LaVine with the expectation of starting a rebuild would be different.

There are teams out there who wish to accelerate their win-now process, and who can offer picks as compensation, but would be disinclined to offer up actual players worth of note. Let’s take the Philadelphia 76ers as an example. The Bulls might be very interested in Tyrese Maxey, who is currently playing All-Star caliber basketball, as to prolong their own competitive window.

But since the 76ers themselves are trying to win, there would be no reason whatsoever to offer a player who helps do just that. As such, it’s difficult to understand what the Bulls are trying to do, if not a full-on rebuild. Any trade of LaVine should be followed up by trades of DeRozan and Vučević, and Alex Caruso, who would likely fetch a decent return.

As for LaVine suitors, the Sixers do make some sense, although first after January 1st where the recent package of players that arrived via the James Harden trade will become trade eligible. LaVine, who is earning $40 million this season, would be interesting next to Embiid and Maxey, seeing as he could focus on long-range shooting and become an off-ball menace, who would create a ton of driving lanes for his teammates. The 28-year-old has averaged 24.

5 points as a Bull since arriving in 2017, and remains one of the league’s most potent scorers. While he won’t cost as much as he did in February, the Bulls surely will have a high asking price. Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.

com , PBPStats , Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference . All salary information via Spotrac . All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook .

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn . Check out my website . Morten Stig Jensen Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.