Since arriving in Chicago in 2017 as part of the Jimmy Butler trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, LaVine has had varying success. He earned two NBA All-Star selections in 2021 and 2022, but his absence this season seemed to do much more for the Bulls than his presence when he was healthy. So it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Chicago is reportedly trying to trade LaVine, who is owed nearly $140 million over the next three seasons.As part of its season-in-review player profiles, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago indicated that a trade involving LaVine could be arriving sooner than previously expected.
“Multiple outlets, including NBC Sports Chicago, have reported that management’s main offseason priority is trading LaVine. At first, a prevailing line of thinking emerged that LaVine, especially with so much money remaining on his deal, would have to show teams that he’s healthy in order to be traded. In other words, that his trade market might not develop until closer to the February 2025 trade deadline,” Johnson wrote. “Multiple rival executives no longer believe this is the case. Playoffs, and playoff failures, can change rival franchises’ thinking. Would the Philadelphia 76ers be motivated to use their salary cap space to add another elite scorer in LaVine? Is Orlando willing to add a veteran scorer to its young promising mix? Does Donovan Mitchell’s uncertain future in Cleveland lead to, if not a direct match, some three-team possibilities? What about Golden State not making the playoffs?
“These questions, plus the Bulls’ motivation to find a trade partner, will at least create activity this offseason. Whether the Bulls can find a trade partner won’t be for lack of trying.”
Bulls with and without Zach LaVine
Whether the Bulls can pull off a trade to ship out Zach LaVine, and for what or who, remains to be seen. But what has already been seen is that the Bulls actually may be better keeping LaVine, who is recovering from season-ending foot surgery, on the bench when he’s ready to return.
This past season, LaVine averaged his fewest points (19.5) and assists (3.9) in a season since his first year in Chicago. His three-point percentage also continued to fall; after achieving a career-high 41.9% mark in 2020-21, his three-point shot dipped to 38.9% the following year, 37.5% the year after that, and to 34.9% this season.
To make matters worse, in the 25 games LaVine played, the Bulls went 10-15. In the 57 games they played without LaVine, they were an above-.500 team, recording a 29-28 record. In games LaVine did not suit up, Chicago’s offense improved by nearly 5 points per game and they proved to be more efficient, with better shooting percentages from the field, beyond the arc, and at the free-throw line.
While DeMar DeRozan continued to lead the way for the Bulls, the biggest revelation of the season was certainly Coby White’s ascension in LaVine’s absence. White averaged 20.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while shooting 44.6% FG, 37.4% 3PT, and 85.0% FT in games without LaVine this season.
If LaVine is moved or even emphasized within the Bulls, White’s role may change with the expected return of Lonzo Ball, who has missed all of the last two seasons following two knee surgeries. In his only season in which he played in Chicago in 2021-22, Ball averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists.
