Zach LaVine, the longest-tenured Chicago Bull, has been openly available on the trade block for almost two years. Despite minimal legitimate offers from potential landing spots, the Bulls have stood pat that they’ve been willing to listen in deals involving their 29-year-old two-time All-Star. As one of the most expensive contracts leaguewide and has a concerning history of injuries, he’s not a particularly hot commodity, as proven by the lack of interest. Bleacher Report’s latest article, detailing potential trades for contending rosters, sees LaVine’s talents join a Western Conference force in exchange for younger, more unproven talent. How realistic is their proposal, and should the Bulls pull the trigger if it becomes a reality?
The Denver Nuggets tripped just a bit coming out of the gates this season. After a 2-3 start to the year, they’ve since gone 7-3 and risen to the sixth seed in a crowded Western Conference standing. Having a three-time NBA MVP on their side and an NBA Championship trophy from the 2022-23 campaign, the franchise is well aware of what it takes to win in today’s game. While there may not be a need to shake things up since they’ve been on a roll lately, more offensive firepower in the postseason is never destructive. They lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope over the summer, an underrated three-point shooting staple in their offense. One NBA insider for Bleacher Report believes that swapping LaVine for Michael Porter Jr. could push them back to championship contention.
The question is, would Denver ever move on from Porter Jr.? He’s putting up solid numbers again this year and provides a much-needed offensive jab at the most ideal times. His ability to score at all three levels and be especially dangerous from three-point land makes him a great fit alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Luckily for the Bulls, LaVine would offer a similar skill set offensively and can shoot the three-point shot at a higher volume and with better efficiency than their current wing.
The underlying hope is that the Nuggets see their competition getting smaller, faster, and quicker and work to match that from a personnel standpoint. The Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, and Golden State Warriors each have a shorter, faster, and more small-ball-type roster build.
Porter Jr. adds a perfect missing piece to the Chicago Bulls. A lengthy two-way wing that can score at will is aggressive in transition, has championship experience, and isn’t afraid of playing off-ball in most cases. With LaVine gone, Josh Giddey and Coby White would run the backcourt, Porter Jr. and Patrick Williams on the wing, and Nikola Vucevic would be the man in the middle. The 26-year-old represents what Chicago hopes Matas Buzelis will someday develop into. The most important thing an M.P.J. for LaVine trade would do is get out from underneath that horrid contract. While the former Missouri Tiger is also making a pretty penny, he’s at least younger and contributes more to playoff-contending basketball.
While the chances are slim that Denver will dangle its future while downsizing to match its fellow contending franchises, LaVine would be a perfect candidate for them if they were to explore that option. The Chicago Bulls should immediately pull the trigger on a trade similar to this if it presents itself.
