Why are the Chicago Bulls struggling with trade options for Zach LaVine?
While there is no doubt as to the talent that the Bulls’ star possesses when healthy, the problem is he hasn’t been. Can the franchise find a trade option?
It would be fair to say that the Chicago Bulls guard has not had an easy time recently. Between injury and now a contractual situation, it’s been anything but smooth sailing. With that the franchise now has a situation on its hands and there doesn’t seem to be a solution.
Bulls struggling with Zach LaVine
The NBA offseason is now well and truly underway and with that, we’ve seen all kinds of movement both unexpected and par for the course. Yet, there is one situation that appears to have no end in sight and that’s Zach LaVine’s tenure in Chicago.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Bulls have so far failed to find a suitable/ willing trade partner for the 29-year-old. To that extent, the organization has reportedly tried to include a first-round Draft pick in any potential package, however, as things stand there have been no takers which according to Marks’ frank take on the scenario, leaves the Bulls in an uncomfortable situation. “There is no market for Zach LaVine. They are trying to give him away and attach a first-round pick. I’ve been told that by multiple, multiple people,” he said.
Now, where context is concerned, LaVine is about to enter the third year of a five-year, $215.2 million deal. What that means, is that he’s set to earn $43 million during the 2024-25 season and $46 million in 2025-26, before becoming eligible for a $49 million player option for the 2026-27 campaign. Truthfully, it would be a true surprise if LaVine were to opt out so with that in mind, he’s essentially looking at $138 million over the next three seasons.
As for stats, the former All-Star has not been in a good place of late. This past season marked LaVine’s worst since the 2018 campaign in that he played in just 24 games before a foot injury resulted in season-ending surgery. That said, his contribution - when healthy - was still not worthy, with an average of 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 34.9 minutes per game. There was also his 45.2% shooting from the field and 34.9% from three-point range. This is all to say that as much as we know what he’s capable of, there’s no way for any team to justify taking on his salary when looking at his health status of late. So, what happens now? One school of thought suggests that the Bulls will either exchange LaVine for an equally unsuitable contract, or they will keep him in Chicago. No matter how you cut those options, it’s going to cost a pretty penny. Do recall, the Bulls just traded Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey, and also put pen to paper on a five-year, $90 million extension for Patrick Williams. With that in mind, don’t be surprised if we see DeMar DeRozan departing in the near future. Ultimately, things out to get tight in the Windy City.