It’s nothing new to hear that the Chicago Bulls have been shopping Zach LaVine for the better part of two years. According to several sources, he was close to being in new threads after last season’s February trade deadline and was again dangled in trade talks over the summer. Heading into this year, it was common knowledge that he was trying out for other teams just as much as he was trying to help the Bulls win every time he took the floor. Monday night, before handing Detroit a loss on their home court, LaVine gave some insight into what these rumors have done to his mental state and how they’ve impacted his performance between the lines.
Although the fanbase is abuzz with chatter about how the Bulls desperately need to get out of LaVine’s overpriced contract, most would agree that he’s evolved into a leader who is more willing to prioritize the team’s success over his own. The majority would hope he finds success at his next stop but understand that things have fizzled out in Chicago, and both sides need to go their separate ways. His response to hearing the trade rumors was optimistic for his future, but hasn’t changed much on the court. He’s still an elite scoring machine with below-average defense, basketball IQ, playmaking, and decision-making.
He’s putting together another typical year, shooting slightly better from three-point land and the field than the last few seasons, but also a slight dip in points. The most important stat, wins, have stayed the same regardless of his performance. Chicago is currently 6-10 and is destined for another NBA Play-In Tournament berth, or missing the postseason altogether.
Reports over the summer were that LaVine’s contract was too hard to move. Marks noted that even by adding a first-round draft choice, he still failed to find it feasible that a trade partner would absorb the absurd contract that the two-time All-Star selection represents. Without playoff success, an All-Star nod in almost three years, missing 57 games due to injury a year ago, and zero All-NBA awards in his career, it’s a tough sell for any potential destinations.
As a Bulls fan, would you trade LaVine for next-to-nothing to free up the budget? Eating some of his contract may be necessary if he were to move, and returning almost nothing seems like an inevitability. With his increased All-Star level play this season, his price tag may gradually grow, but fellow former All-Star Nikola Vucevic currently represents a more appealing asset to contending rosters.
LaVine intentionally mentioned in this interview that he’s versatile, willing to move around the floor, and eager to do whatever it takes to help a team win basketball games. He referred to DeMar DeRozan and how his role changed to an off-ball threat at times and how, in other instances, he was subject to letting the more veteran star make plays in crunch time, a role he filled before DeRozan’s arrival.
