Ever since Zach LaVine went down with an injury, the Chicago Bulls have been playing better. Does this mean LaVine was the only problem? No. Does this mean the Bulls should push forward rather than rebuild? No. But it does mean that the front office has some hope, which could be a dangerous thing.
Despite their recent success, the clearest path forward for Chicago is still a rebuild, and that all starts with trading LaVine, something the Bulls are reportedly focused on. By trading LaVine, the Bulls would be well on their way to a fresh start, which is something this franchise has desperately needed for the past two seasons.
But the question is, what should the Bulls be looking to get back in a LaVine trade?
The 28-year-old star makes a ton of money, as he still has three years on his deal after this one (including a player option in the final season). The last year of his contract tops out at roughly $48.9 million.
In order for a team to be willing to trade for LaVine, they need to be comfortable that he would be a part of their long-term future. Otherwise, the risk wouldn’t outweigh the potential reward.
Because of that, there are a limited number of teams who could show interest in LaVine, and that needs to be taken into account when looking at who the Bulls should potentially target in a trade.
With all that in mind, let’s take a look at five players the Bulls should have their eyes on as they seek out a trade for LaVine this season.
1. Austin Reaves
It has already been reported that the Bulls are interested in Austin Reaves should they move LaVine to the Los Angeles Lakers. It seems unlikely that the Lakers will give up on Reaves, but if that’s the ultimate destination for LaVine, Chicago should push for Reaves to be included.
2. Davion Mitchell
If the Sacramento Kings show interest in LaVine, snagging Davion Mitchell, who is not in the team’s rotation at the moment, would be a huge win. Adding his defensive presence to a rebuilding team would give the Bulls a nice young player. He could get a fresh start in Chicago.
3. Aaron Nesmith
Surprisingly, the Indiana Pacers are one of the favorites to land LaVine in a trade. If that idea comes to fruition, the Bulls should push hard for Aaron Nesmith to be in the deal. Chicago needs three-point shooting, and Nesmith brings that to the table, as well as hustle defense. Indiana will almost certainly want to keep hold of him, but Chicago should at least try to get him included.
4. Caleb Martin
The Miami Heat have been one of the teams heavily linked to LaVine. Jaime Jaquez Jr. seems to be approaching untouchable status (at least in a potential LaVine trade), so the next best thing for Chicago would be Caleb Martin. He’d help them on defense and provide some solid three-point shooting.
5. Jonathan Kuminga
Nothing is going right for the Golden State Warriors right now. If they wanted to seriously shake things up, a trade for LaVine would do that. Chris Paul would likely be included, but the prize the Bulls should chase is Jonathan Kuminga, who would give them a nice young forward to develop next to Coby White and Patrick Williams.
