Should the Chicago Bulls try to trade guard Zach LaVine for veteran Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward? ESPN cap guru Bobby Marks thinks it might be a solid plan if they can convince the Hornets to play ball.
In a recent Eastern Conference trade primer, Marks proposed that the Bulls deal LaVine to Charlotte for Hayward, backup big man Nick Richards, and two 2028 second-round picks from the Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers. Marks notes that Chicago might be able to get a better deal than this if they elect to wait until the 2024 NBA offseason, but that path is not without risk for the Bulls.
“The risk there is that, because of the new roster restrictions that start in the offseason, high spending teams like the Lakers can only match dollar-for-dollar in salary,” Marks reminds us.
Chicago Bulls still betting on continuity while other teams make moves https://t.co/pK6J4W11Ly pic.twitter.com/L1eXmTA22k
— Bulls Wire (@Bulls_Wire) January 26, 2024
“In addition, Los Angeles could not aggregate contracts going out if its team salary exceeds the second apron,” he adds. It seems likely that the field could be as limited as it is now for CBA reasons.
If a deal like this were on the table for the Bulls, we would have to think long and hard about accepting it just to move on from what has been a mostly mediocre era in Chicago.
