Is Zach LaVine In The Chicago Bulls’ Long-Term Plans?

Zach LaVine is a name that has been brought up a lot in trade rumors this offseason and could be on the move near the trade deadline for the Bulls. After being the Bulls leading scorer the last two years and averaging 25.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and shooting 45% from the floor, 38% from deep last season, LaVine is a guy championship contenders could be highly interested in. 

If the Bulls get the right offer at the trade deadline for him, they will likely be willing to move on from the high-flying wing because of the draft assets they could receive in return.

Zach LaVine does not really fit the defensive playstyle the Chicago Bulls have created over the years and with him always needing the ball in his hands to be successful, he may hinder the development of other young players on the roster such as Coby White, Wendell Carter Jr. and now Patrick Williams. 

Draft picks is the Bulls biggest need as an organization right now, as they try to solidify a core of young talent for the future. With a fair amount of youthful talent already and some draft picks to work with over the next few years, the Chicago Bulls could be in a position to land a big-time, All-Star level talent that fits their system via trade if they acquire a few more draft picks.

If they do not trade for an All-Star, they would have plenty of the first-round draft picks over the next few years that they could use to build a large core of young players to compete with during future seasons. The scoring they would lose by trading Zach LaVine would definitely hurt the Bulls in the short-term, but realistically, this team has no shot to compete in the Eastern Conference. 

Zach LaVine’s future with the Chicago Bulls needs to be addressed this year because if they wait any longer, his value will begin to decline. Trading him while his value is high and getting a solid amount of draft assets in return could really og a long way to finally ending the Chicago Bulls’ 23-year rebuild.