As the NBA offseason gets underway, the Bulls find themselves at a crossroads.
A disappointing 2022-23 season ended with Chicago collapsing in the final minutes of an NBA Play-In Tournament matchup against Miami. The Heat moved on to the playoffs, where they made a stunning run to the NBA Finals, while the Bulls were forced to watch from home. It marked the fifth time in six seasons the Bulls missed the playoffs.
Now, Chicago’s front office faces some difficult decisions.
With the team stuck in no man’s land in the middle of the Eastern Conference standings, change seems imminent. Star forward DeMar DeRozan is entering the final year of his three-year, $81.9 million contract. Center Nikola Vucevic — acquired from the Magic for a steep price in 2021 — is set to become a free agent. Point guard Lonzo Ball hasn’t played a game in almost a year and a half, but the Bulls are still on the hook for his $20 million annual salary for at least another season.
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Then, there’s Zach LaVine.
The shooting guard was handed a five-year, $215 million max contract extension last offseason that made him the 16th highest-paid player in the NBA this year, according to ESPN. He played fairly well throughout the campaign, averaging 24.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 77 starts. But his 37.5 three-point percentage was his lowest mark in four years, and he struggled mightily in Chicago’s Play-In game against Miami, finishing with 15 points on 6-of-21 from the field.
The time has come for Bulls GM Marc Eversley to pick a path. He can either give it one more shot with the current roster, or he can blow it up and enter rebuild mode. If he chooses the latter, LaVine’s mammoth contract makes him the top candidate to be moved on.
Here are the latest rumors on potential landing spots for LaVine if the Bulls do decide to trade the two-time All-Star:
Zach LaVine trade rumors
First off, it’s important to think about what the Bulls would want in return for LaVine if they do a deal.
On June 19, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago provided some insight as to what the team could be looking for. He wrote that one league source informed him “a good young player, multiple first-round picks and salary filler” would be the ideal return for LaVine, while another said “one first-round pick and an established, high-end player” might do the trick.
Either of those would represent a pretty big offer. LaVine is 28 years old and he carries a huge contract that will run through at least the end of the 2025-26 season. He has also battled injuries in his career, with a torn ACL in 2017 and the recent knee surgery both causing some concerns.
But on the flip side, he would be a huge addition to a contending team looking for an elite secondary scoring option.
Miami Heat
At the moment, it looks like the Heat are locked in on trying to bring Damian Lillard to South Beach. But if the Blazers don’t want to play ball, LaVine could be another intriguing option.
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times floated Miami as a possible destination for the sharpshooter. He might not be able to run the point like Lillard, but he would provide Miami with a perimeter weapon to compliment the one-two punch of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The only question is, are the Heat willing to give up enough to make it happen? LaVine could essentially act as a souped-up version of current Heat guard Tyler Herro.
Dallas Mavericks
In January of this year, ESPN’s Tim McMahon said LaVine was highly rated by members of the Mavericks’ front office during an appearance on The Lowe Post podcast. As McMahon put it, “there are people who have some juice within the Mavericks organization who are Zach LaVine fans.”
Of course, LaVine probably has “fans” in every front office in the league. But if Dallas does choose to part ways with Kyrie Irving this offseason, LaVine could be an excellent fit alongside Luka Doncic in the Mavericks’ offense. Not only is he a second on-ball creator, LaVine is a proven catch-and-shoot stalwart that would likely mesh well with Doncic… at least offensively.
Los Angeles Lakers
In May, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley listed LaVine as a “dream target” for the Lakers this offseason.
A former UCLA product, LaVine is already plenty familiar with the City of Angels. As an elite outside scoring threat, he could fit extremely well alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis in a new-look big three for LA. Especially after a surprising run to the Western Conference Finals this postseason, the Lakers could be on the hunt for a splashy deal this summer to cement themselves as legit contenders in the West.
Austin Reaves or Mo Bamba could serve as potential trade chips for LA to include in a deal.
New York Knicks
One team LaVine likely won’t be suiting up for next season is the Knicks.
According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, LaVine’s camp has made it clear they are not interested in doing business with Knicks GM Leon Rose. The issues stem from Rose’s ties to sports agency CAA. Rose used to work for the company, and his New York front office team has a reputation for favoring CAA clients over clients from other agencies. LaVine is represented by famed agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.
Of course, that doesn’t mean a move to the Big Apple is entirely out of the question. The Knicks have a bounty of draft assets to offer in addition to promising young players like R.J. Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. The pieces are there for a deal to be done — if the two sides can settle their differences.