On the heels of his decision to have season-ending foot surgery, NBC Sports Chicago insider K.C. Johnson reports that the Chicago Bulls will look to trade star guard Zach Lavine in the offseason.
“The Bulls engaged in multiple trade conversations centered on LaVine dating to last offseason,” Johnson reports. “When this season began poorly, both the Bulls and LaVine’s representation agreed to be open to trying to find LaVine a new home. But… LaVine never specifically asked to be traded.”
“Nevertheless,” Johnson continues, “the Bulls engaged with the Detroit Pistons leading up to the Feb. 8 trade deadline but gained little traction on moving LaVine. A source said the Bulls will look to trade LaVine again this offseason.”
Bulls to Dangle Zach LaVine for Blockbuster Offseason Trade
Despite an atmosphere of disappointment and discontent, the Bulls have found some sense of normalcy this season. 25-20 since December, the Bulls have steered clear of the lasso, refusing to let their playoff hopes be wrangled in by injuries.
The Bulls might be even better than they were before LaVine was hampered by his nagging foot injury. After all, many of their wins in that stretch happened without LaVine in the fold. Indeed, the Bulls were 10-15 when he played but are 21-19 without him. That being said, Chicago isn’t exactly a world-beater without the two-time All-Star. Despite his well-documented flaws, he’s one of the most naturally gifted offensive players in the league.
He hadn’t played up to expectations before he decided to have foot surgery. However, he’s averaged 24.2 points per game since being acquired by the Bulls in 2017. Only Michael Jordan (31.5) and DeMar DeRozan (25.2) have a higher scoring average in Bulls franchise history.
LaVine also ranks second in Bulls history in 3-point conversions (994), behind only Kirk Hinrich (1,049). To that point, Hinrich played 748 games with Chicago, the third-most in franchise history. LaVine has played nearly half that amount (374 games), highlighting his prowess from beyond the arc.
Nonetheless, this season, his lack of defensive upside and ball-movement have mattered more to Chicago than his scoring capabilities. Consequently, not only an improved facilitator in Coby White but a two-way playmaker such as Ayo Dosunmu have seen their value rise this season. White leads the league in minutes played (2,388). While averaging a career-high 27.5 minutes per game this season, Dosunmu is averaging 38.1 minutes per game since the All-Star Break.
Zach LaVine to the Pistons?
With the Pistons, LaVine may be able to play his natural game. Dotting the eye of his opponents from the perimeter, his strength is Detroit’s most glaring weakness.
However, another issue that Detroit faces is the lack of an ideal fit between Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. Both are backcourt players who are their best with the ball in their hands; unnatural fits as off-ball shooters. To that point, neither is reliable from beyond the arc, their touch from that range going hot and cold.
Neither Cunningham nor Ivey are reliable defenders either. Although this isn’t an area in which LaVine could help, he’s unlikely to be any worse at that end than they are. Furthermore, with the defensive upside of frontcourt players such as Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren, they could make up for more of LaVine’s mistakes than Chicago could with DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic in the frontcourt.
LaVine to the Pistons may never become a reality, but it’s understandable how it might become a fantasy.
