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Four Best Landing Spots For Zach LaVine

If you let the internet tell it, Zach LaVine has made it in the NBA as a superstar. His 2022 NBA season with the Chicago Bulls has vehemently proved that. But between the injury scares and playoff inconsistencies, the now free agent may come with some red flags. Regardless, Lavine can be a great fit for any contending or on-the-bubble team. Here are four teams that would be an ideal landing spot for the 2022 NBA All-Star.

Four Best Landing Spots For Zach LaVine

San Antonio Spurs

Dejounte Murray‘s now-deleted tweet caused a litany of eyebrows to be raised regarding Lavine’s possibility of joining the San Antonio Spurs. But it’s not a far-fetched idea. After overachieving in the Play-In Tournament, the Spurs are once again a team with a young core and little direction. Yes, Gregg Popovich maybe still the head coach, but for how long? And then there are the rumors of expanding towards the city of Austin and Mexico City to play home games for the 2022-2023 season?  Banking on a bona fide All-Star may be what the team needs with all the uncertainty.

Adding in Lavine to play alongside Murray instantly ups both players’ usage. Lavine gets an upgraded setup man, as Murray outranks Lonzo Ball in assists per game. While Murray gains much-needed offensive help after the Spurs traded Derrick White. Throw in the potential of the projected 9th pick (such as a certain Memphis center) and the 20th pick in this year’s draft and you may be looking at a resurgence in San Antonio. Talk about business in a blink of a tweet.

New York Knicks

Yes, as wild as it may seem this would fit the New York Knicks narrative. But it will come with a cost. Across many circles, there seems to be a growing potential for trade for Donovan Mitchell. And while it may be a pipe dream, it could be possible. The cost: Knicks’ franchise-leading 3-point shooter Evan Fournier. Add in the necessary picks and the Knicks land a New York native. The follow-up from that trade should be to sign Lavine. Throwing a star of his caliber adds a much-needed rim runner Mitchell did not have in Utah. It also adds much-needed help at the free-throw line that your star player RJ Barrett needs especially when Lavine outranks 14 players on the entire roster in percentage.

Then there is still concern over what will become of Julius Randle? As public perception sours, there could be room to end this experiment by trade. Sign-and-trade with the Bulls? Does Russell Westbrook come to New York? Take your internet pick, at this point any of them would do.

Miami Heat

Another team, like the Knicks, currently in the Mitchell sweepstakes is the Miami Heat. Built on culture, the Heat boasts a solid roster of young talent and veteran leadership. Led by a former Minnesota Timberwolves player like himself Jimmy Butler, the Heat have surprised many this year. Battling in the playoffs and showing impressive aggression, the Heat could instantly become a destination city again for stars. Enter Lavine who supplements the lack of draw fouls and drive-and-kick plays in the Heat’s game. That distinction solemn goes to Kyle Lowry, who is currently injured during the pivotal second-round games.

With the possibility of this scenario including losing the beloved Duncan Robinson, the thought process of losing the NBA 6-Man of The Year is worse. Imagine how scary it would be to have Lavine and Tyler Herro on the court at the same time? Or maybe not at all?

 Chicago Bulls – Staying Home for Zach LaVine

It could be because Demar DeRozan and Ball have a point. Upon their exit interviews both players shared the same sediment, why not run it back? The Milwaukee Bucks exposed the Bulls in their playoff series with a simple star shutdown strategy. Without DeRozan and Lavine, the Bulls had no additional firepower behind them.

But it also has to do with health. If you add in a healthy Ball, Alex Caruso, and Patrick Williams, that series could have gone either way.

Could the Bulls, who could upwards offer 5 years/$200 million contract, retain a team that surprised the entire Eastern Conference this season? The numbers, top 15th in PPG, offensive rating, and pace in the NBA, don’t lie.

Whatever decision Lavine makes will make for an interesting off-season. Either with the four suggestions above or any of the other 28 teams, the 2-time All-Star will be at the top of all free agency lists this summer.

Main Image: Embed from Getty Images

John Caul

John Caul

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