The Charlotte Hornets have a 5-11 record and need talent as well as hope. They have a potential budding NBA superstar in 22-year-old LaMelo Ball, but they don’t have many players who would seem to be cornerstone pieces moving forward.
Over 1,000 miles to the northwest, the Chicago Bulls are also going through difficult times. However, the difference is that while the Hornets are trying to build, the Bulls may be about to rebuild. They’re going nowhere with a 5-14 record, and a few of their best players, including two-time All-Star Zach LaVine, are rumored to be on the trade block.
There is sure to be a long list of teams that will go after LaVine, and he has also made it clear he has a list of teams he would prefer to be sent to. One team that is reportedly interested in trading for LaVine is the Hornets.
LaVine could bring some legitimate star power for Charlotte, not to mention excitement. He has a career average of 20.5 points a game, and he had a career-high of 27.4 points a contest during the 2020-21 season. He is also a high-fly act who can rock the rim and won back-to-back Slam Dunk Contests several years ago, and he is also a potent 3-point shooter who has made 38.2 percent of his attempts from that distance throughout his career.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Zach LaVine, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls Rumors
The Bulls are sure to demand quite a bit in return for him, but what if the Hornets landed him with this package? In exchange for LaVine, the Bulls would acquire Gordon Hayward, Cody Martin, and two future first-round draft picks.
Hayward would do nothing to improve the Bulls’ fortunes, even though he’s historically been a good 3-point shooter. But he has a big contract that will expire at the end of this season, and that would help clear Chicago’s books financially. Martin has been out of action since last season due to a knee injury, but prior to that, he has shown promise as a 3-point shooter.
Meanwhile, LaVine could give Charlotte a particularly explosive backcourt by teaming with Ball. He is also 6-foot-5, which would mean Charlotte would have a long backcourt since Ball is 6-foot-7, and while LaVine isn’t a good defender, together, they could cover ground and get rid of airspace for opposing guards and wings, especially since LaVine can scale up and play the 3.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Zach LaVine, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls Rumors
With guard Terry Rozier struggling to stay healthy and with big man Miles Bridges’ ongoing legal problems, the Hornets badly need another legitimate scorer, and LaVine could be the man to fill that need. At age 28, he is also young enough to be a part of their immediate future, provided he is fortunate enough to avoid injury.
He may not make them into a playoff team right away, but at least they would have the foundation for one, and perhaps they would be attractive enough to prospective free agents this summer to obtain the pieces needed to get to the postseason soon.
