The 2023 NBA trade deadline came and went for the Chicago Bulls without any major transactions, much to the chagrin of the bulk of the team’s fan base.
Last-minute rumors swirled that the team was trying to unload superstar guard Zach LaVine, with Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times tweeting that if the Bulls didn’t find a taker for him, talks about moving LaVine would likely resume over the coming summer.
On ESPN 1000’s Kap & J. Hood, insider David Kaplan and analyst Jonathan Hood discussed Chicago’s inaction leading up to the deadline, with LaVine’s name coming up frequently. Kaplan noted that LaVine’s contract made him difficult to move, which is likely the primary reason he wasn’t traded.
Kaplan also said there was a disconnect between LaVine and Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, which could have also played a role in the team trying to ship him off.
Kaplan: LaVine & Donovan ‘Not in a Good Place’
According to Kaplan, there’s a been a fracture of sorts in Donovan and LaVine’s relationship — but other players on the Bulls roster are fine with their head coach. “He and Billy — that relationship has sailed,” Kaplan said about LaVine and Donovan on February 9, adding: “And everyone else in the locker room is on Billy’s side.”
LaVine inked a five-year, $215 million max deal in July of 2022, and his average annual salary is just over $43 million per year. He’s the highest-paid player on Chicago’s roster, and it sounds as though the Bulls may have a tad of buyer’s remorse.
“They’re not going to ever admit this until the day the guy’s not here, but I’m telling you, Billy and Zach LaVine are not in a good place. They’re not,” Kaplan said, also noting Lavine’s and Donovan’s was “not a great relationship. … The rest of the team loves Billy.”
“Billy’s not going anywhere,” Hood replied.
That’s true. As Shams Charania and Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic first reported, the Bulls signed Donovan to an extension heading into the 2022-23 season, so if anyone is going anywhere, it’s LaVine.
Bulls VP Arturas Karnisovas Explained Bulls’ Inaction
After the 3 p.m. deadline passed on February 9, Bulls vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas spoke to the media and explained why the team didn’t make any significant moves.
“We made calls, we got a lot of calls. It was pretty busy,” Karnisovas said, via The Daily Herald. “But at the end of the day, I think we were also buyers, we wanted to improve our team. But we couldn’t capitalize on that.”
The Bulls VP also says he thinks his team can get to the playoffs at season’s end.
“I still have confidence in this group right now,” Karnisovas said. “There’s still wiggle room, there’s some parity in the East. I think the trade deadline kind of shifted some quality more toward the West, so there’s a chance obviously to compete in the Eastern Conference. There’s a lot of teams that are pretty good, but they are just scrunched all together, so I think there’s a chance there the next 28 games.”
The Bulls currently sit in the ninth spot in the Eastern Conference with a 26-29 mark. If they can’t get it together in the coming months, expect big changes this summer.
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Bulls Coach Billy Donovan & Top Superstar ‘Not in a Good Place’