It’s just a matter of time before the Chicago Bulls hit the reset button. The team has struggled all season long, and their chances of making the playoffs are pretty close to zero right now.
That’s why several of their players have been linked with trades for months now. DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and even Coby White and Nikola Vucevic have emerged as potential trade suitors for contending and rebuilding teams alike.
Needless to say, that makes Zach LaVine the most likely and most valuable trade asset they have right now, even though he hasn’t played for the past month or so while nursing an injury.
With that in mind, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report put together an interesting mock trade that would send LaVine to the Los Angeles Lakers, the place where he thrived when he was in college playing for the UCLA Bruins.
Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls handles the ball during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Trade
Los Angeles Lakers receive: Zach LaVine
Chicago Bulls receive: D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Maxwell Lewis and a 2029 first-round pick
This trade isn’t that appealing for the Bulls at first sight, but the reality is that LaVine’s trade value isn’t as high as it used to be after so many injuries and his stand-off with Billy Donovan.
Lakers Get Another Shot-Creator
“L.A.’s 17th-ranked offense is light on shot creation and essentially nonfunctional when James, who turns 39 in December, needs a breather. Just that one subtraction torpedoes its output by 13 points per 100 possessions,” wrote Buckley.
LaVine might not be a good defender, but he can at least take plenty of pressure from LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the offensive end of the floor, both with his scoring and his passing:
Chicago Bulls G/F Zach LaVine
“LaVine, one of five players to average at least 24 points, four assists and 2.5 three-pointers each of the past four seasons, could help prevent those drop-offs while also enhancing the effectiveness with James on the floor. Each could create for the other, and both are dynamic finishers. If they hit the ground running, they could steer this offense into the top 10 or higher,” added Buckley.
The Bulls Get More Assets
The Bulls, on the other hand, wouldn’t benefit from the players they get in return from this trade per sé, but they could flip them into more draft capital to actually kickstart their rebuild:
“The rebuilding Bulls wouldn’t have a ton of use for Russell, but they could give him temporary control of the offense in hopes he’d drive up his trade value and help bring back additional assets. Hachimura might see similar treatment, though he’s just young enough (25) to potentially keep if Chicago sought a rapid rebuild,” Buckley concluded.
see also
Predicting landing spots for Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Alex Caruso
At the end of the day, LaVine’s trade value gets lower by the day, so it only makes sense that Arturas Karnisovas and company make the most of him while they still can. It will take a while, but the Bulls need to move on from this core to go back to the place they never should’ve left in the league’s hierarchy.
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