The Chicago Bulls have had an up and down season to say the least.
Chicago currently sits as the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 17-21 record fresh off an impressive win over the Brooklyn Nets, snapping their 12-game winning streak.
With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, and the Bulls’ realistic playoff chances looking slim, they’ve become one of the more fascinating teams to watch heading into February as a potential seller at the deadline.
One name to watch is Zach LaVine, who rival teams have their eye on if Chicago chooses to blow up their roster and begin another rebuild.
On Thursday, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype discussed the top trade candidates following the Jan. 15 extension deadline, including LaVine.
“If the Chicago Bulls make Zach LaVine available before the trade deadline, rival executives are keeping an eye on several teams who could have interest in trading for him, including the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and Miami Heat.”
LaVine, like the Bulls, has had an up and down season. On Dec. 20, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that ‘LaVine and the Bulls are not seeing eye-to-eye.’ Charania added that LaVine and DeMar DeRozan had multiple ‘one-on-one, face-to-face sitdowns’ to help close the gap of their disconnect on the court.
The ink is still wet from LaVine’s five-year, $215.2 million max contract extension from this past offseason, which adds to the discomfort and questions surrounding the team’s future.
Add in LaVine’s play, who is averaging 22.4 points per game, his lowest since 2017-18, and shooting his lowest percentage from 3-point range since 2018-19, combined with the uncertainty of his knee long-term that has rival executives lurking.
Whether the Bulls decide to stand pat and fight for a play-in spot in the East or reset and trade some of their veterans for future assets, that decision must be made soon, which will decide LaVine’s short-term fate.
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