The Chicago Bulls will trade Zach LaVine sooner rather than later. Heading into the NBA Draft, Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated reported that the franchise was open to moving him if the right deal came along.
Presumably that means the same holds true going forward.
If Bulls VP of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas was willing to trade LaVine two weeks ago, that means he does not fit in with the organization’s long-term plans.
Last year LaVine averaged 25.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per outing. There are plenty of worse players being moved between teams right now, so why hasn’t Chicago struck a deal of some sort yet?
This week Jordan Maly and Cody Westerlund aimed to answer that very question on the Locked On Bulls podcast.
Yikes. This is now a full-blown disaster. https://t.co/nxFWAQAhTf
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 30, 2020
“What do you think the Bulls are going to struggle with when they’re considering dealing Zach LaVine?” Maly asked.
“I don’t think the Zack LaVine situation is going to be difficult for the front office, I think they’ll probably move on from him,” Westerlund replied.
“They just don’t know when and they’ll wait for the right moment to flip him for a young player they like or a draft pick, perhaps if we’re looking at the draft ahead of the draft next year.
Kendall Jenner hears the jokes.https://t.co/YifQexZUPA
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 30, 2020
“I think obviously the time to do this with LaVine, he has two years left on his contract at a fair number, most teams would probably prefer to have someone like that for two playoff pushes unless they’re a team that’s trying to operate year to year to keep their flexibility,” he continued.
“Maybe that would be the time before free agency in the draft next year to deal him, but he could be dealt at this trade deadline. I just don’t see his game fitting, if we use Denver as the model and if we take AK at his word with the ball sharing system that he wants to play with, I don’t see LaVine’s game fitting as snugly as the front office would like.”
At this point, a trade centering around LaVine seems inevitable. Where will he ultimately end up? Time will tell.
Related: Stephen Curry Gets Very Honest About LeBron James Rivalry
Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
