All indications have pointed toward the Chicago Bulls looking to find a trade for Zach LaVine this summer, but the question is, who will want him? Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report listed “Does anyone take a flier in Zach LaVine?” as one of the top 10 trade storylines that will dominate the offseason.
“At present, though, his market value might be non-existent,” Buckley wrote. “His name has bounced around for the better part of a year now, and the Chicago Bulls still haven’t found any takers. They are prioritizing a LaVine trade this offseason, but it’s anyone’s guess over whether a deal gets done. The 2023-24 campaign did nothing to help his trade stock. When he wasn’t fighting a right foot injury that eventually sent him under the knife, he was posting some of his worst shooting rates in years (45.2 overall, 34.9 from three). Even worse, the Bulls were significantly more competitive without him, as they fared 4.8 points better per 100 possessions when he wasn’t on the floor.
“For someone who was already fighting the reputation of being a stat sheet-padder with a limited impact on winning, that number didn’t help. But there are two numbers doing even more damage to his value: Three and 138 million, as in the years and money left on his contract. That’s a tricky pact to match in a trade, let alone stomach over the next three seasons. And yet, you’re still talking about a two-time All-Star who’s on the right side of 30 with a career scoring average north of 20 points. Scoring-starved teams might not be totally out on him, particularly if his trade cost is slim to none.”
For all of the negatives that come with a potential LaVine addition, he’s still a great shot creator who can help improve an offense.
