Chicago Bulls trade Zach LaVine at perfect time in these 3 deals

It’s been an up-and-down season for the Chicago Bulls.

Just when they show a bit of promise and begin playing good ball again, the Bulls revert right back to a team that looks lost.  There’s no better example than the loss to Indiana a couple days ago, where Chicago gave up a 21-point lead in the second half.

The idea of “blowing it up” has been tossed around at times this season, and right now might be the perfect time for Chicago to do so, starting with trading Zach LaVine, who’s playing the best basketball he’s played all year.

If the Bulls wanted to take advantage of LaVine’s great stretch, a few trades make sense, starting with New York.

The Chicago Bulls could trade Zach LaVine to the New York Knicks and bring a familiar face home

For years now, fans have dreamt of the day where Derrick Rose comes back home, In this first trade, Rose comes back to Chicago while LaVine heads to the Knicks.

The biggest part of this deal, money-wise, is the fact that Chicago takes on Evan Fournier’s contract, which is guaranteed through the 2023-2024 season and has a team option in 2024-2025. At roughly $18 million annually, the Bulls would be stuck with that for at least a season.

Chicago would also get young forward Cam Reddish, who will have been traded for the second time early in his career. The former no. 10 overall pick has yet to truly pan out in the NBA, but worst case scenario, Chicago moves on after this season.

The Bulls also get two first-round picks in exchange for LaVine, which ends up being well-worth ridding themselves of his contract. With LaVine’s salary reaching over $40 million starting next season, his play simply doesn’t warrant the Bulls keeping him.