The Chicago Bulls want a young player with upside and multiple draft picks if they trade Zach LaVine, according to NBA insider Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.
The Bulls are open to trading LaVine, who signed a five-year, $215.2 million contract last summer.
“Stuck in NBA no man’s land, it would seem like the LaVine smoke exists because the Bulls recognize trading him could be one of their only paths to aggressively retooling and reshaping the roster,” Neubeck wrote. “PhillyVoice was told pre-draft that the Bulls were setting a reasonably high price for their star guard, hoping to acquire a young player with upside and multiple picks, sources said.
“Whether that valuation is based in reality is hard to know. On the one hand, LaVine is an ultra-athletic scorer with microwave ability, a player who can crush in the pick-and-roll and flip a game on its head rather quickly. On the other hand, he’s on a fairly expensive deal for a player who has not proven the ability to lead a team past purgatory, and frustrations have bubbled up about his approach on several fronts, with his focus as a defender and leader often in question.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Zach LaVine & Chicago Bulls Updates
LaVine averaged 24.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Bulls in 2022-23. He will make $40 million next season. The two-time All-Star and two-time Slam Dunk champion has been linked to the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers since both teams are dealing with trade requests from superstars.
James Harden wants to get traded by the Sixers to the Los Angeles Clippers and Damian Lillard demanded the Blazers trade him to the Miami Heat. Neither Harden nor Lillard wants to play for the Bulls, but it’s possible Chicago could be the third team needed in a blockbuster trade, with LaVine getting shipped to a new city.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Zach LaVine & Chicago Bulls Updates
LaVine, 28, has career averages of 20.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Bulls. He’s one of the best scorers in the NBA, averaging 25.4 points over the last three seasons.
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