A Trade Market “Has Finally Emerged” For Zach LaVine

Per NBA correspondent Marc Stein’s latest trade buzz post yesterday, the Bulls may have finally found a suitor for their two-time All-Star. Zach LaVine’s rocky season has shifted momentum in favor of seeing his departure from the Windy City before the February 8th trade deadline, and there’s been more evidence recently. Head coach Billy Donovan shared with the media that his star’s original return from injury will be delayed until closer to the trade cutoff, one struggling Eastern Conference team has been in active “trade talks” over the former UCLA Bruin, and several Chicago Bulls and leaguewide reporters have since confirmed the interest is mutual. Is this Chicago’s last chance to part ways with the 28-year-old face of the franchise, and how low has his price tag fallen?

The Last Hope For A Salary Dump

Zach LaVine’s lucrative max contract a few offseasons ago was a significant turnpike for the Chicago Bulls franchise. Many fans were on the fence about doling out top-15 leaguewide salary to a player who’d never won a postseason series, has zero All-NBA selections, and has never evolved beyond purely an elite scoring threat. He is owed $40 million for each of the next four years, and with the Bulls only seeing one postseason victory in his seven-year tenure with the club, it’s time for a change.

Ideally, Chicago would see a return of Bojan Bogdanovic, whose three-point abilities would help the currently constructed roster for the rest of his two-year contract at less than half the price of LaVine. This would also free the Bulls to pull the trigger on a trade involving the expiring contract of DeMar DeRozan, which several teams have already shown interest in in the last month. If they go this route, Alex Caruso could be another trade piece dangled, with a minimum return of two first-round selections. If the Bulls decide to go full-fledge rebuild, a LaVine trade could kickstart the entire operation in the coming weeks.

The Pistons Trade Package

Per James Edward III of The Athletic, Chicago’s price tag remains at Bojan Bogdanovic, one of their four young core players, and draft capital. Those four players include star point guard Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey, and Ausar Thompson. It’s implausible that Cunningham or Duren would be dealt in any capacity for LaVine, as both would demand a much higher return given they are each under 23 years of age and are already household names. Thompson is likely off the table. The 20-year-old was Detroit’s fifth overall pick in last year’s draft.

For Chicago, it boils down to how badly they want off of LaVine’s regretful contract regarding how little they’ll take in return. Plenty of teams leaguewide can absorb his salary, but the expense of the contract paired with his recent health concerns means that there will not be much else returning to the Bulls in any trades.

Should they continue to ride their star to continued mediocrity or jump-start a firesale that will lead to an eventual rebuilding period? Chicago has not advanced beyond the first round of the postseason since 2015, shortly before LaVine’s arrival from Minnesota. Is now the time they turn the page and admit this failed experiment has run its’ course?