Both the Bulls and Zach LaVine are increasingly open to the idea of exploring a trade involving the two-time All-Star, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, teams around the NBA are “probing” LaVine’s possible availability.
A number of executives, including many general managers, are in Chicago on Tuesday for the 2023 Champions Classic, the NCAA’s annual fall showcase. Conversations about LaVine could begin there, Charania explains.
LaVine is averaging 21.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 35.1 minutes per game through his first 11 contests this season. The 28-year-old is off to a bit of a slow start – his .409 FG% and .309 3PT% would be career worsts – but is typically one of the NBA’s best scorers, having averaged at least 23.7 PPG for five straight seasons entering this fall.
LaVine is in the second season of a five-year, maximum-salary deal with the Bulls. He’s earning approximately $40MM in 2023/24 and is owed a guaranteed $89MM over the following two seasons. He holds a 2026/27 player option worth just shy of $49MM.
While the plan was for LaVine to be a key part of a Bulls roster that perennially qualified for the playoffs and contended for titles, the team has struggled to compete on a consistent basis since losing Lonzo Ball to the first in a series of knee injuries midway through the 2021/22 season.
Chicago was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 2022 and was knocked out in the play-in tournament in 2023 after posting a losing record (40-42) in the regular season. The club is off to a 4-7 start this fall and there have already been reports that teams are keeping an eye on the Bulls, as well as speculation that changes could be coming. Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic (Twitter link) says one league source predicted this week that Chicago will have a different roster in a month.
As K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago notes (via Twitter), the Bulls held exploratory talks on LaVine over the summer but had a high asking price at that time. It’s unclear if that price might drop at all based on how the club has started this season, but the players are “very aware” that changes could be coming if they don’t turn things around, says Johnson.
Besides LaVine, DeMar DeRozan could be another major trade chip for the Bulls. Charania says the franchise would ideally like to keep DeRozan beyond his current contract, which expires in 2024. However, there has been a gap between the two sides on both years and salary in their extension talks, and the 34-year-old would like to get a sense of the organization’s direction before committing to a new deal, Charania adds.
Yaaaaawwwnnn !!!!!! aaahhhhhh
DeM DeR to >>>>>> Knicks
Salary: $28,600,000
Remaining Contract: one year, $28.6 million
Trade Value: Medium
Trade-eligible: Yes
Extension-eligible: Yes
The acquisition of DeMar DeRozan has worked much better than perhaps they expected after making the All-NBA 3rd Team in 2021-22. He is still playing at a higher level than many expected him to at this point in his career and should still hold positive trade value. DeRozan is currently extension-eligible with the Bulls but both sides are reportedly far apart in negotiations. At 34 years old, it might be time for the Bulls to trade him and get something for him, even if they don’t plan on tearing the team down.
Called it. No way Lavine sticks through another rebuild. He barely stuck through the botched first one. I’d personally wait if I were the Sixers. Who wants a scoring-only but All-Star-caliber guard? Any takers?
Barely that’s what????? Knowledge talking.
What part of 215 million dollars do you need explained. He signed in July 2022. As a FA
The season after the team said “screw rebuilding””, got Ball, Vuc, DDR, and made the playoffs, and before Lonzo’s knee was diagnosed as “possibly permanently f*cked”? Shocking. If the team hadn’t made those moves, he was 100% gone, and everyone knows it.
They made those moves Genius!!!! To build around Zach ….. hence the contract. You are clueless …
I’d be sad to see him go because he is so fun to watch when he gets hot on offense. Few players have the ability to get to the rim as consistently when they are motivated. But, far too often when they show replays of Bulls defensive breakdowns, you end up seeing LaVine out of position, or making a show of getting where he’s supposed to be instead of actually getting there.
Lavine to Lakers and they will still be mediocre AF.
My clippers ceiling is a mid tier playoff team with a floor of going out in the playoffs ! Mediocrity in the nba must be a west coast thing
Levine to the sixers
LaVine’s shooting numbers are down. He shot 48.5% from the field last year. He is shooting 40.9% right now. He knocked down 37.5% of his triples last year. He is shooting 30.9% this year. He averaged 24.8 ppg last year. He is scoring at 21.9 ppg now. 4.2 assists per game last year. Currently dropping 3.0 assists per game.
It’s early, but something to monitor.
Not sure who out there really has a haul to offer for Zach. I don’t think Philly has enough. Not sure what other contending teams are out there to jump in. A lot of teams will be interested. Not sure how big of a package is available to offer. Bulls have no young talent. What team is willing to give up young talent for LaVine???
“LaVine’s shooting numbers are down.”
Yeah, we read the article,
If they would of done it when I told them to in the last year he was making 18 million this wouldn’t be a problem and the Bulls would have a ton of draft picks. But everybody vilified me and called for my head. Where are all those guys now? Now you’ll be lucky to get anything useful and have to take back 37 million in bad contracts. Well Played Bulls!
Yup. You’re the GM the Bulls have been missing. It was so easy to see.
DeRozan isn’t most concerned with the “direction” of the franchise. They could tell him they were going into a full rebuild, and he will absolutely sign a deal with the Bulls if the years and money are right. He is only searching for the most $$$ and years. It will likely be his last NBA contract.
Yea, which circles back to his complete BS surrounding why he isn’t a Laker. They could only offer him like the MLE? And he was like it was a done deal lol. 28M a year from Chicago.
Lakers, Heat, Sixers… I expect them to kick the tires. The Magic too, they love guards. Knicks can’t match without including Randle or RJ right now. Nets would be an interesting destination, move Ben.
Clippers would be the most hilarious place tho. Could you imagine they deal Harden in January lmao. Include the goat Mann.
Harden’s greatest value to the Clippers may ultimately be his expiring contract.
Miami bound
Send him to Clippers!
As a Sixers fan I really hope we don’t get involved. He’s just a scorer, not that efficient, doesn’t play defence, overpaid, overall just good player bad team kinda guy.
Lakers could be keen but Dlos been good so far and Reaves should be able to turn it around.
I like the idea of him in New Orleans with Zion, That would be really entertaining.
Miami might get in talks but he’s basically a more athletic Tyler Herro. I wouldn’t if I were them.
Brooklyn maybe….
Indy would make sense too. Tyrese Zach Bruce Myles that’s a nice team.
Wonder if Sacramento would be keen, Fox LaVine and Sabonis
Either way I wouldn’t expect a hugeeee return. Zachary overpaid and if he gets injured he’s done, his game is all about his athleticism
Caruso to the sixers would be a good move for me
They wanted 2 FRPs for him last year. I wouldn’t spend that type of draft capital on Caruso.
Agreed would like him but wouldn’t want to give up to much, think other teams will offer more
I wouldn’t want the NYK to acquire LaVine and his contract even in a Beal type trade (with no real consideration beyond taking the contract). I don’t see how an NBA team wins with him. He doesn’t defend, and, even on offense, he doesn’t lift the team. Not sure if that’s attitude or skill set, but, after so many years in the league, who cares?
Had posted more than a few times prior, these BULLS will likely be among the first to implode this season.
Rebuild.
LaVine has the potential to be a great 3rd star on a team… 20-25 points is what ya need from them…
His defence needs work, but a lot of that is down to the laclustre coaching he has had in his career… Saw the same thing with Wiggins… Get the right coach for him and he’ll use that length better… May never be a true plus on defence, but can improve…
A team looking for a third star could do a lot worse… The Clippers just did…
Bulls are not trading LaVine. They can move DeM DeR and Caruso. And retool around LaVine. That’s the smart play.
Using ‘smart’ and ‘Lavine’ in the same paragraph is ludicrous.
If any here know Ball. If any of you here know the Bulls in Zach tenure. They you know they have always needed a real PG. It’s why Coby was drafted. Didn’t really work out. That’s why they signed Ball.
Now he’s hurt and possibly gone. So they are back to needing a real PG. Zach is a scorer only. That’s what you build around. Or else get rid of him. But won’t happen this year. Cause his value is low. You don’t give a guy away just cause things seem bad.