While there has been quite a bit of speculation that high-scoring Zach LaVine could wind up on the trading block, the Chicago player considered most readily available is actually veteran forward Thaddeus Young, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Young averaged 10.3 PPG and 4.9 RPG in 24.9 MPG in his first year with the Bulls, all career lows aside from his rookie season, and he was unhappy with his role. Young is guaranteed $13.545MM next season, but the final year of his contract in 2021/22 is only partially guaranteed.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe returned to practice Thursday. However, while coach Mike Budenholzer said Bledsoe “looked great,” he didn’t play in today’s scrimmage against the Kings. Bledsoe tested positive for the coronavirus prior to the team’s arrival in Orlando and flew to the campus on Wednesday.
- New Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas hasn’t pushed ownership for a coaching change and that seems like a wise move, Johnson opines. Jim Boylen seems open to tweaking his offensive system and management has sought his input on player development strategies, Johnson continues. Karnisovas has a good working relationship with Boylen’s staff, Johnson adds.
- The Athletic’s John Hollinger takes an opposing viewpoint. He sees the lack of progress in the Bulls’ head coaching search as a head-scratcher, believing that Boylen isn’t Karnisovas’ first choice. It’s possible that Chicago’s owners simply doesn’t want to pay off Boylen and then dole out more money for a new head coach, or that the delayed start of next season has made them procrastinate. But the franchise is isn’t giving the next coach a chance to hit the ground running this winter, Hollinger adds.
Zach LaVine should also be on the Bucks radar.
He could be the final piece in keeping Giannis in Milwaukee.
Giannis wants to win rings, wants to play with other stars, and particularly young stars. LaVine has insane potential, is also 25 like Giannis and would be a great addition to that team. They struggle to score or create without giannis on the floor and LaVine would fix that issue. And when sharing the floor LaVine can add some shooting and spacing while other teams have to worry out for two of the most athletic players in the game attacking the rim.
Bucks might need to add a third team but they have some assets like Eric Bledsloe, Conanaughton, DiVancenzo and most their first round picks.
Just for example maybe
Bucks: Zach LaVine
Orlando: Eric Bledsloe, DJ Wilson
Chicago: Aaron Gordon, DiVancenzo and a first
Would you explain to me Why LaVine has so much more trade value than Wiggins ？
Do you know about ACL？
Career stats
LaVine 17.7 pts
Wiggins 19.7 pts
CareerRebounds
Wiggins 4.4
LaVine 3.6
Yes LaVine has more trade value
But Wiggins have better defense potential
LaVine entered the league as the 13th pick with loads of potential and has gotten better basically every year to the point he is at now which is borderline all star level. He is his teams best player, is elite athletically can shoot well and has improved defensively.
Wiggins entered the league after being great in college was first overall pick and hasn’t played at that level since. Every year he fluctuates between improving and getting worse. He doesn’t has the potential like Zach. He doesn’t shoot the ball that great, is awful at free throws. He is weak defensively but has improved and he also went missing the one time he went to the playoffs.
Zach is young and improving and his skill set is what teams want a shooter and athlete. His mentality is that he wants to improve and be a leader and win games. Wiggins is young every year may or may not improve, struggles shooting and his mentality is weak. He should be a better defender but isn’t, and the one time he made the playoffs he sucked.
In terms of trade value LaVines contract is much much better than Wiggins also
You are right
LaVine has a good contract
Wiggins has weak mentality and not Motivated
Lavine’s contract is tradeable and a team with (very) good defense might take a shot and get him. But unless he starts to play some defense, I don’t see him becoming a star. For the moment he is just a volume scorer in an awful team. Not that Wiggins has proven much more though. I don’t think too many people in Minny are lamenting the loss of one or the other.
How would you compare Levine to Julius Randle? Your description sounds similar other than the different positions.
LaVine can run an offence and was a near all star level player. He had that mentality of wanting to win and lead. Randle just wanted stats and money.
I can see LaVine improving constantly to the point he’s a consistent 28-5-5 player on a winning team. Randle at his very best is a 20-10 guy on a losing team, if he changes teams to a winning team the he becomes a huge liability on defence and puts up 17-8
He would have to improve a lot, though, as he is not even a 28-5-5 player in a losing team that basically plays for him (6th player with more field goal attempts this season). But once again, if he does not play any defense (and so far he hasn’t), he will be unplayable in PO.
But the thing is LaVine has been improving almost every year since he’s entered the league. Last year he averaged 25.5-4.8-4.2 which was an improvement in points per game, improvement in rebounds per game and improved his 3 point percentage.
That 25.5 points per game was good for 12th in the league.
For someone who has consistently improve every year I think 28-5-5 is well within his reach.
To put that into perspective they only players in the league who averaged 25-5-5 this year where Harden, Russ, Bron, Doncic, Giannis, Kyrie and Kawhi. Only Giannis Harden and Doncic did it while averaging 28 points or more.
Zach still has a lot of improving and potential in him to unlock. I think if he was to make the move to a winning team he probably doesn’t quite have the best season in terms of numbers but that’s not to say after adjusting to a winning team and new teammates he couldn’t put up great numbers in the future
because Lavine is better??
Adding more expensive players won’t make it easier to re-sign Giannis. Like most teams, the Bucks don’t want to pay luxury taxes.
LaVine isn’t much more expensive tho his deal is something like 4 years at just under 20mil which is similar to Bledsloe.
If you asked Giannis which would you rather have and which gives you more of a chance winning a ring in the next 5-10 years it’s going to be LaVine.
Imagine trying to stop Giannis who is a 1 man fast break by himself that is learning to shoot threes, then adding the 2 time slam dunk champ and one of the most athletic players in the league who can shoot threes. Throw in the fact you have a top 10 defence with Giannis Middelton BLopez to hell cover for LaVine your going to be very very hard to stop
I promise you, if ask Janis that, Lavine is not even on the list, ahahah
I doubt Giannis or any GM in the league would state Lavine at $20MM per is more valuable than Bledsoe and DiVincenzo who combined earn about $20MM per.
I don’t see why the Bucks are giving up a player on Lavine’s level in Bledsoe who is a perfect fit along with a young and talented DiVicenzo just to land an injury prone volume scorer.
There is literally ZERO reason to keep that clown Boylen in charge. He should’ve been fired the day they announced the 22 teams allowed to play in the bubble. I mean the Knicks just hired Thibs today. Why can’t Boylen be fired? Any good will towards AK and Eversley goes out the window if Boylen is still in charge by the beginning of next season.
Bulls owner is cheap？
The dominoes are about to start falling now that NY has tipped the first one.
CHI
PHI
WAS
BRK
POR?
Bulls need to trade LaVine and anyone over 25 years old
I completely lose my confidence
Porter trade asap
Zach LaVine reminds me of a young Kobe.
Extremely athletic, both entered the league 13th overall as 10 points per game type players and have improved year after year. It’s now gotten to that stage where both players are 25-5-5 ish level players. Obviously Zach will probably never ever reach Kobe’s level but I think he would be a good model to copy his game after. Zach needs to improve defensively a lot but I think the fact he’s on a terrible Chicago team doesn’t entice him to try harder in that area. If he was to join a Nets Lakers Bucks type team I’m sure he would straight away try a lot harder on defence while still being solid
For a player who completely ignores defense to be compared to one of the greatest defensive two guards in the history of basketball is just lazy. It shows you’re uninformed and just throw out the lamest comparison possible. Zach LaVine is Nate Robinson. Very athletic scoring guard who is a defensive liability. Would be a good #3 scorer on a good team but will never be a true star on a winning team because he doesn’t care about defense or hustle plays. You comparing the kid to Kobe isn’t going to magically make it a reality.,
I don’t see the Kobe comparison since Kobe was a two way player from day one and Zach hasn’t shown much improvement defensively. You are also focusing on his offensive stats but not acknowledging the fact he’s a volume scorer who put up 25/4/4 last season with a ORtg of 106 and DRtg of 110. His lack of offensive efficiency combined with his poor defense puts him closer to guys like Lou Williams, Monta Ellis and Michael Beasley than Kobe. Now add in his injuries and fact he hasn’t played in more than 63 games since his sophomore season and it’s hard to see him ever reaching his projected ceiling.
Also playing next to Giannis isn’t going to miraculously turn Lavine into even an average defender. All you have to do is see how lost Jabari Parker was playing defense to see it’s not about who you have around you as much as your own abilities.
Lavine is not as coachable as people seem to think. He continues to make late game mistakes that he has been coached on. He believes “leading” means “taking the last shot”, even when triple teamed. A great 6th man type on a good team. What good teams need that type and have low draft picks to trade along with perhaps a decent young small forward or point guard to match salary?