Getty Zach Lavine #8 of the Chicago Bulls defends against Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks.
As a New York Post report reiterated that Zach LaVine’s camp is not interested in a trade to the Knicks, the feelings seem mutual.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, “There is not a market for Zach LaVine right now in the NBA.”
Meaning, not even the Knicks, who are perpetually looking for the next star to descend New York, want to trade for LaVine.
“… and that’s not because Chicago has not tried to find it and isn’t currently trying to find it. It’s a combination of a few reasons,” Wojnarowski said on the December 1 episode of the NBA Today.
The first major obstacle is LaVine’s expensive contract. The 28-year-old LaVine signed a $215 million, five-year max extension with the Bulls last year. He is due to make $40.1 million this season, and he’s owed $138 million over the next three.
“Four more years at around 45-46 million a year on average but it’s [his] productivity. And I think this is a player right now who’s out now with a foot injury he’s been in and out of the lineup.”
LaVine has played 77 or more games in a single season only three times in his first nine seasons in the NBA.
“I think the question for teams is how much does Zach LaVine impact winning especially at the salary and with a new salary cap where you’re asking yourself: ‘Are we trading for him to be our best player? No! Our second-best player? No! So if he’s our third-best player, do we want to pay that kind of money?’ And for the Bulls they want to get some value in a trade,” Wojnarowski said.
Zach LaVine’s Red Flags
Former Knicks general manager Scott Perry gave a glimpse of where the team stands in a potential LaVine trade.
“When I hear a guy’s name like that first, I study the player himself,” Perry said on the Hoop Genius podcast. “No question that Zach LaVine can score the basketball. He has proven that in his nine years in the NBA. He shot the ball well. He’s a career 38% three-point shooter and explosive athlete. The next thing that I look at is, does he impact winning?”
LaVine’s lone trip to the playoffs ended in a sweep to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2021-22 season. He averaged 19.3 points on 43% from the field and 38% from 3-point distance, 6.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds in his lone playoff appearance.
“He’s played a total of four playoff basketball games,” Perry pointed out. “So now, I say to myself I’m looking at paying 40 [million] this year, 43, 46 and 49 million in subsequent years for a guy who to this point has not impacted winning to the level that his money says he should impact. So, there’s not a real match there, in my opinion.”
Waiting for the Right Star
The Knicks have resisted trading for aging stars last summer, preferring to bring back their core that reached the second round last season. But this early, the Knicks have struggled to score against playoff contenders with elite defenses.
A LaVine-type player who can score off the dribble and knock down outside shots could certainly help them.
But Perry’s concerns, along with potential defensive issues arising from a Jalen Brunson-LaVine backcourt, should keep the Knicks from pulling the trigger.
The Knicks, operating under Leon Rose’s patient and prudent approach, are waiting for the right star to fit this current Knicks roster.