Getty Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls reacts to game action.
The Chicago Bulls did well to quell some of the “blow it up” talk hanging over them in an inconsistent first half of the season. They are 19-23 and one half-game back of the nine-seed, though they do have the same record as the 11th-seeded Toronto Raptors just to show how jumbled up the backend of the playoff picture is in the Eastern Conference.
That fine line the Bulls are trying to navigate could lead them to the postseason or disaster with many pundits forecasting the latter which, naturally, brings up no shortage of suggested routes they can take.
One of the more popular avenues – at least from an outside perspective – has been moving on from two-time All-Star Zach LaVine and his five-year, $215 million max contract.
As the February 9 trade deadline nears, the hypothetical scenarios become more intricate.
Zach LaVine to Dallas By Way of Cleveland?
“Given that the Bulls could be on the verge of blowing up their roster, and that the Cleveland Cavaliers apparently have eyes for Mavs veteran Tim Hardaway Jr., perhaps a three-way trade between Dallas, Chicago and Cleveland could satisfy all sides to an extent,” argues Dalton Trigg of Sports Illustrated’s Dallas Basketball.
Bulls Get:
- Reggie Bullock
- Dorian Finney-Smith
- Caris LeVert
- 2x 1st Round Picks
- 2x 1st Round Pick Swaps
Cavs Get:
- Tim Hardaway Jr.
- 2nd Round Pick
Mavs Get:
- Andre Drummond
- Zach LaVine
“After seeing what Donovan Mitchell, Dejounte Murray, and Rudy Gobert were traded for last summer, one would think the Bulls would require at least three first-round picks in a LaVine trade,” Trigg writes suggesting the Bulls would be the team to balk at this package.
BIG TIME PLAYER!
The return the Utah Jazz got for Gobert altered the trade landscape.
Meanwhile, Mitchell and Murray’s respective deals have shown the costs, risks, and rewards of making such a splashy move which can often affect making further improvements to the roster.
The Bulls are in a precarious situation as it is with little in the way of draft capital, promising young players, or attractive contracts. They are also an older team at the top with DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic both on the wrong side of 30 years old while LaVine has dealt with knee injuries in his past.
“Would the addition of another young player like Josh Green or Jaden Hardy make up for the Mavs potentially not having enough picks to offer?”
Value in The Eye of The Beholder
LeVert, 28, is in the midst of a down season averaging 12.4 points, his fewest since 2018, on 51.6% true shooting which is his worst mark since 2019. In the final year of his three-year, $52.5 million deal, LeVert is a prime trade candidate as Cleveland seeks more floor spacing.
ICYMI in 3Q: @CarisLeVert made another tough shot. 😮💨
📺 #CavsJazz on @BallySportsCLE
Finney-Smith, 29, is in the first year of a four-year, $55.5 million deal and offers tremendous two-way versatility. He is averaging just 8.4 points and shooting 34.5% from deep this season while seeing his defensive rating take a hit. But he shot over 39% on threes in each of the last two seasons.
Bullock, 31, has seen his three-point shooting fall for a second consecutive season connecting on just 31.3% of his deep looks in the second year of a three-year, $30 million pact.
Green, 22, is a third-year guard averaging a career-best 7.0 PPG on 71.7% true shooting.
The 20-year-old rookie Hardy is putting up 8.8 points on 59.5% true shooting over his last five appearances
Damn okay Jaden Hardy! Really nice spin move against good defense from a bigger defender #MFFL
Trigg notes that LaVine’s injury history could give the Mavericks reason for pause but also notes the difference a player of his caliber could make next to Luka Doncic. At 27, LaVine is entering his prime and has started to round back into his usual All-World athletic form.
Bulls Not There…Yet
Trigg is like correct in his assumption that the Bulls would likely say no at this point. But it is because they are still holding out hope that they can get healthy (see: get Lonzo Ball back) before they fall completely out of contention.
Even as they have considered pivoting amid their struggles this season, LaVine has not been someone they are interested in moving.
DeRozan and Vucevic would both sit higher on that list.
With 14 more games until the trade deadline, keep an eye on the Bulls to add rather than subtract, says NBC Sports Chicago‘s K.C. Johnson on the January 11 episode of the ‘HoopsHype’ podcast. That would have a bigger impact than LaVine’s balky knee or exorbitant contract and seems to be the most likely course of action for a front office that is not keen on rebuilding.