Zach LaVine‘s name is once again appearing in trade rumors after the Chicago Bulls failed to find a suitor for the two-time All-Star last season.
The primary obstacle last season was a foot injury that required surgery. This sidelined LaVine and ended his 2023-24 campaign early. However, now that the 29-year-old is healthy and playing at an All-Star level, the question remains: Will he be traded?
To see if a LaVine trade is even realistic, it’s important to revisit why his name surfaced in trade discussions last year. Reports indicated that LaVine and Bulls head coach Billy Donovan had a fractured relationship early in the 2023-24 season. It seemed that LaVine was unhappy in Chicago, but his injury and hefty contract made a trade unfeasible.
This offseason, the Bulls prioritized building around LaVine by trading DeMar DeRozan, moving away from isolation basketball, and acquiring Josh Giddey to emphasize a faster-paced style of play. According to Donovan, LaVine has embraced this new direction.
“He’s getting out and really running,” Donovan said. “He’s really trying to help us establish the identity of the style of play and how we’re trying to play.”
LaVine and the Bulls appear committed to one another this season, and trading him is no longer a priority for Chicago as it was last year.
LAVINE’S CONTRACT AND THE CBA
LaVine’s contract complicates trade discussions.
The current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which took effect in 2023, enforces salary-matching in trades. Teams that exceed the second salary cap apron — which is set at $188.9 million — cannot take on more salary in a trade than they send out.
With LaVine earning $43 million this season, matching salaries in a trade is challenging. The Bulls must find a team to make the numbers work or involve a third team to facilitate the deal.
The Denver Nuggets have recently been linked to LaVine in trade rumors. A proposed deal centered around Michael Porter Jr. and Zeke Nnaji to match salaries, but reports indicate that the Bulls are unwilling to take on Nnaji’s contract, causing the trade talks to stall.
The difficulty of trading big contracts is a league-wide issue. During an ESPN NBA Roundtable, analysts discussed the challenges of trading star players under the current CBA.
“This might not be a fun answer, but I’m going with no one,” said ESPN senior writer Tim Bontemps when asked which stars would be traded at the deadline. “Unless big-salary players are being swapped for each other, it’s hard to see a huge star making a move in the next month.”
ESPN Front Office Insider Bobby Marks added: “Expect more singles and doubles, less triples and home runs when it comes to transactions.”
TOP DESTINATIONS FOR LAVINE
For a team to trade for LaVine, it would need to be young, overachieving, and willing and able to match his salary. Here are three teams that fit the bill:
HOUSTON ROCKETS
The Rockets boast a talented, young roster and are currently second in the Western Conference. Adding a veteran scorer like LaVine could help Houston in its playoff push.
In exchange, the Bulls could receive Jabari Smith Jr., who recently suffered a hand injury, and Dillon Brooks. Before the injury, Smith’s playing time has been reduced due to the emergence of Amen Thompson and Tari Eason. This trade could benefit both teams, with the Rockets bolstering their playoff chances and the Bulls adding a young asset in Smith, who was a top-three pick and is just 21 years old.
Full Trade Details:
- Houston Rockets receive: Zach LaVine
- Chicago Bulls receive: Jabari Smith Jr., Dillon Brooks, Jeff Green
ORLANDO MAGIC
The Magic are fourth in the Eastern Conference despite missing key players like Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner for most of the season. If Orlando is serious about making a playoff run, trading for LaVine could be a strategic move.
This trade would make sense if the Bulls want to move LaVine’s contract. In return, Chicago would acquire two guards and a young wing in Jett Howard, who is from Chicago.
Full Trade Details:
- Orlando Magic receive: Zach LaVine
- Chicago Bulls receive: Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jett Howard
DETROIT PISTONS
The Pistons are quietly just one game in the loss column out of the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. LaVine would be a perfect fit alongside Cade Cunningham, potentially giving Detroit the boost it needs to compete.
As with the Magic trade, this deal would only make sense for the Bulls if they intend to offload LaVine, though they have not yet shown a willingness to do so. Bulls also gain the ability to trade either Harris or Hardaway for more draft picks.
Full Trade Details:
- Detroit Pistons receive: Zach LaVine
- Chicago Bulls receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris, 2025 second-round pick via Toronto
A LAVINE TRADE IS ULTIMATELY NOT REALISTIC
LaVine is unlikely to be traded at the deadline due to the complexities of his contract and Chicago’s reluctance to take on additional contracts. Plus, the Bulls have stagnated at the deadline for the past three seasons.
Chicago is likelier to trade players with smaller contracts, such as Nikola Vucevic, Ayo Dosunmu, and Patrick Williams.
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