During an interview with NBA reporter Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine talked about being in trade rumors every season.
The Bulls acquired LaVine from the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2017 in the Jimmy Butler trade. Since then, LaVine’s name has come up in trade rumors all the time.
“I’ve been traded before,” LaVine said. “Trades are just part of the business and guys get shuffled around every year. I’ve been in trade talks since I’ve been here for some reason. I feel like I’ve held up my end of the bargain in my commitment to the Bulls, but there’s not a lot you can do with rumors and people putting your name in trade talks.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls Updates
Rival teams have checked in with the Bulls about LaVine‘s availability, according to NBA insider Jamal Collier of ESPN. However, no team has been willing to meet Chicago’s asking price for LaVine, who signed a five-year, $215.2 million contract in July 2022.
“I feel like I’m in a good situation now where, if anything were to happen, they would let me know,” LaVine said. “I have good communication with them and my agent. But there’s been stars traded before, high-level guys, who didn’t know about it as well. You’ve just got to hope you have a good relationship — or at least you have a heads-up for the family.”
The Bulls engaged several teams on LaVine trade opportunities during the offseason and LaVine was “not happy” about it, a league source told NBA Analysis Network. The two-time Slam Dunk champion is averaging 24.5 points thus far this season while shooting 40.0% from the field and 29.4% from beyond the arc. LaVine scored a career-high 51 points against the Detroit Pistons in Game 3.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls Updates
“You take it with a grain of salt,” LaVine said. “It doesn’t affect me because at this point I’m in my 10th year. It’s nothing I haven’t heard before. It’s unbothering to me.”
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