Bulls wing Zach LaVine has been a prominent name in the NBA rumor mill for multiple seasons. While he and the team reportedly had a mutual desire to see LaVine traded out of Chicago in 2023/24, evidently the two-time All-Star has had a change of heart.
Sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) that LaVine now prefers to remain a Bull past the February 6 deadline. Still, while LaVine may not be pushing to be dealt, he doesn’t have control over his future.
As Fischer writes, the Bulls are incentivized to tank down the stretch so they can keep their 2025 first-round pick, which is top-10 protected. If that selection lands outside of the top 10 — Chicago currently has the ninth-worst record in the league at 19-25 — it would convey to San Antonio.
If they’re unable to land Jimmy Butler, the Suns could have interest in trying to trade Bradley Beal for LaVine, sources tell Fischer. I’m pretty skeptical that the Bulls would go for that even if Phoenix attaches multiple first-round picks to Beal and his no trade-clause, but it’s certainly not outside the realm of possibility. Of course, Beal would have to approve the deal too, which is far from a given.
LaVine has also been floated as a possibility to be included in a multi-team mega-trade involving both Beal and Butler, though that scenario is extremely complex.
LaVine, 29, has had a strong bounce-back season in ’24/25 after missing most of last season with a foot injury that required surgery. Through 40 games (34.0 minutes), he’s averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per contest, with an excellent shooting slash line of .513/.451/.812.
Head coach Billy Donovan has praised LaVine multiple times this season for his positive attitude, willingness to accept change, his on-court play, and his off-court leadership.
Although they have yet to make an in-season trade, the Bulls have displayed a willingness to discuss just about everyone on their roster, according to Fischer. Rival executives have described Chicago’s front office as “seeking change,” per Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link), though it’s unclear what that means beyond some sort of roster shake-up.
Say what you want about him as a player, but man he has been a good soldier in a way that’s rare and pretty refreshing in this day and age.
I mean I think people believe in him as a person and his offensive ability. He also has improved defensively where he isnt good but hes about avg.
His lack of value is based entirely on the fact his contract is huge with more years left, and his injury history is worrying. I think he has dealt with a number of knee problems with tend to not go away so your just hoping that he stays healthy. With an in season trade your hoping after you strip your roster to match his 50M he doesnt just get hurt and leave you far less than you had before the trade. Its really the same problem with Jimmy where he would probably have been moved if he hadnt not played 60 games since last decade…
Hope he can win in Chicago. But the Bulls need a better GM.
Lavine is not the first or even second option on a winning team
With the ridiculous restrictions on making a trade, Best of luck trying to make a 2 team trade much less a multiple team trade. Look the Bulls can keep LaVine providing, 1) His current attitude prevails, 2) He stays relatively healthy-maybe, And 3) He’s cool with the switching of talent. Because this team is poorly constructed and needs major roster alterations. The best move probably is to keep him and pay down the contract a little and that would make him a way more attractive trade target. Besides, The best time to deal a contract like that is probably the off season anyway. Trading LaVine for Beal would be trading a bad contract for a ridiculously stupid contract. I’m not saying the Bulls management isn’t stupid enough to do it, But that would be a firing offense for me.
Borderline criminal how he has shipped out a bunch of players like Wendel and Lauri right before they popped, while also holding players like Caruso and DeRozan until they had minimal to no value. They probably should have 3-4 1sts just from those two if they hadnt been dead set on keeping them and the 10 seed…
why would the bulls trade for beal lmaoo
Sports writers have been demonstrating quite an imagination lately.
It would be the multiple first rounders that they are really trading for.
first round picks, tanking for Coop/Amari Bailey/Dylan Harper/VJ, Beal/Billy Donovan connection/still keeping a “star” name for Jerry Reinsdorf to make the 8 seed in the future.
Bull front office is basically the manatees from south park: you never know what they’re going to do, but you can bet it will make no sense. Easy to speculate on because no nonsense is off the table for them.
Almost makes me long for GarPax to return.
I said that last week. Then I threw up. Then I woke up.
Looking at the 2 players Zach and Butler why wouldn’t the same teams be going after Zach than Butler. He is a better player with a better attitude?
Because Butler plays defense, and Lavine doesn’t. I agree with you that Lavine should be discussed more than Butler for contending teams. It’s the way the league works these days lol.
With Butler’s age he doesn’t have much time left to be good at defense. Older players defense is the first thing that goes down hill.
Its because of the extra 2 years and 100M already for sure committed. A team besides the Suns might think they can resign Butler for much less when his market doesnt develop in a market with only one bad team that makes no sense for him having any semblance of cap space.
LaVine is a more dynamic scorer and is younger but he isn’t a better player. Butler is better at creating for others and is a better defender.
If a team makes him a priority then Butler’s loyal AF. He played his heart out in every playoff game that he could over the last five years. He’s a powder keg though if he feels you’ve done him wrong.
Looks like most of these players don’t care about winning.
Obviously he wants to stay, the Bulls let him be the first option and put up all the stats he wants. Not only that could increase the value of his next paycheck (compared to role player numbers in Phoenix) but also he clearly prefers to be the 1st option over winning.
A lot of players want to get traded, and then their career just falls off a cliff. You see it a bit more clearly in the NFL, they go from being the man to a shell.
He has a good situation for what he probably wants for his career – primary scorer.
Crazy how everyone went from trying to recruit beal to their team to now no one wanting him
If the deals not there they can certainly wait until the summer and get more.
Lots of teams will have increased mobility this summer and looking for upgrades . There’s no talent really to be had on the free market and even the exception money market isn’t looking all that ripe
They don’t need to make a deal just to make a deal in the next 2 weeks