Under Maintenance

We deeply apologize for interrupting your reading but Vendetta is currently undergoing some important maintenance! You may experience some layout shifts, slow loading times and dififculties in navigating.

Sports Media

Report: Bulls, Zach LaVine open to exploring trade

Zach LaVine
Amid a middling 4-7 start, the Chicago Bulls and star guard Zach LaVine could be traded by February’s deadline. (John Jones-USA TODAY Sports)

Report: Bulls, Zach LaVine open to exploring trade

Amid a middling 4-7 start, the Chicago Bulls and star guard Zach LaVine have “increased openness” to exploring a trade, NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Tuesday. This comes in lieu of NBA teams allegedly “probing the availability” of LaVine, a two-time All-Star who has three more years left on his contract after the 2023-24 season.

LaVine is currently in the second year of a five-year, $216 million supermax he signed in the 2022 offseason. He is making $40.1 million this season and is due to make $43.0MM, 46.0MM and 49.0MM (player options) over the next three seasons, respectively.

This has been a long time coming for Chicago to consider breaking up the core of LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams and Nikola Vucevic, who it re-signed to a three-year, $60 million deal this offseason. In 81 minutes together through 11 games, they are a minus-26 when they share the floor together; in 1,365 minutes since the start of the 2021-22 season, they’re a minus-133.

If you include just LaVine, DeRozan and Vucevic, Chicago’s three-best players, they’re a minus-122 over the last three seasons–a minus-2.8 per 100 possessions–an unacceptable mark for a fringe playoff team.

LaVine is averaging 21.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, shooting 40.9 percent from the floor, 30.9 percent from 3-point range and 87.9 percent from the free-throw line this season. There could be suitors such as the Philadelphia 76ers, who have plenty of expiring contracts to trade, the Miami Heat, who are always “star hunting,” the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers (I’m just brainstorming out loud), among others.

If Chicago does flip LaVine ahead of the deadline, it could be the start of the total rebuild in Chicago, who needs a clear direction.

***

Subscribe to Vendetta’s Twitch

Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube

Check out the Vendetta Shop

Click here for more NBA content

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Popular Past Stories

recommended stories

Tee Higgins

Bengals Focused on Securing Long Term Deal with Tee Higgins

Bengals Focused on Securing Long-Term Deal with Tee Higgins The Bengals may finally be listening to their franchise quarterback, Joe…

Read More
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Report: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. not signing extension with Blue Jays ahead of 2025 MLB Season

Report: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. not signing extension with Blue Jays ahead of 2025 MLB Season Earlier this offseason, it was…

Read More
NBA All-Star

Multiple NBA players voice frustration with extended breaks during 2025 All-Star Game

Multiple NBA players voice frustration with extended breaks during 2025 All-Star Game The NBA tested out its new tournament-style All-Star…

Read More
Avowed Review

Is Avowed Worth Playing?

Is Avowed Worth Playing? In this video, we review Avowed by Obsidian Entertainment. We discuss what Avowed did right and…

Read More