The Chicago Bulls signed Zach LaVine to a huge contract extension, putting an end to all speculation about his future... For a while. Now, after a somewhat underwhelming season, those talks have flooded social media again.
The UCLA product hasn't always seen eye-to-eye with coach Billy Donovan. And with Lonzo Ball reportedly set to undergo a third procedure on his knee, it seems like this roster may have peaked already.
With that in mind, an unnammed NBA executive told Heavy's Sean Deveney that the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks could re-engage in trade talks centered around their talented guard.
NBA Rumors: Zach LaVine Wants To Play For The Knicks
(Transcript via Heavy)
"Ahead of the NBA trade deadline, the team had 11th-hour conversations with the New York Knicks about franchise cornerstone Zach LaVine that never developed. And a rival GM is skeptical about the possibility that they could be revisited over the summer. But he didn’t discount the possibility outright.
In addressing the Knicks’ offseason trade potential with Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney, an Eastern Conference GM mentioned the LaVine angle specifically. However, it was his opinion that some media manipulation may have been occurring on that particular front.
'They’re connected to Zach LaVine… but that might be mostly coming from LaVine’s people,' the GM told Deveney.
Nevertheless, the exec did see a pathway toward a deal between the two clubs, and the pieces that were mentioned as a potential trade return for the Bulls amounted to exactly the kind of package Karnisovas and Co. should be coveting in a rebuilding scenario.
'It is a huge financial commitment taking on LaVine but if [the Knicks] built a package based around [RJ] Barrett and picks — Barrett with [Evan] Fournier and three picks, something in that range — then they might be able to get it done.'"
Other reports stated that LaVine's camp wanted him to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, so, regardless of the destination, it seems like the young star won't stay in the Windy City for too long.
