Chicago Bulls Rumors: Team’s asking price for Zach LaVine revealed

The week of the 2023 NBA Draft is here and rumors are circling around the Chicago Bulls as the team is looking for paths to get involved in Thursday’s draft.

The Bulls currently do not have a selection in this year’s draft but the team is said to be motivated to, at least, get into the first round. One path to the Bulls accomplishing that goal may be through trading Zach LaVine.

We already know that the Bulls have stopped just short of flat-out shopping LaVine this off-season as the team has gauged the interest in the All-Star guard across the NBA. Thanks to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, we now know what the Bulls’ motivations are for a potential LaVine trade:

"This, of course, is where things get tricky. The Bulls, according to league sources, are valuing LaVine highly, as they should. He’s a two-time All-Star who is coming off a season in which he overcame a slow start to average 24.8 points per game on a true shooting percentage of 60.7 percent.One league source said the Bulls would be focused on getting a good young player, multiple first-round picks and salary filler if they decide to trade LaVine. Another said one first-round pick and an established, high-end player might be sufficiently intriguing.K.C. Johnson via NBC Sports Chicago"

Previous reports had the Bulls wanting more for LaVine than what the Washington Wizards were asking for Bradley Beal. The Wizards are finalizing a trade with the Phoenix Suns that will send Beal to Phoenix in exchange for a package that includes Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, multiple second-round picks, and multiple draft pick swaps. The Wizards are also sending Jordan Goodwin and Isaiah Todd to the Suns.

The Chicago Bulls have the hope of remaining competitive with a potential Zach LaVine trade.

It would seem that the Bulls could easily get more for LaVine than what the Wizards got for Beal. That would be the reason why if the Bulls get an offer that is remotely close to one of the scenarios that Johnson outlined, it should be an immediate yes.

Johnson’s report also gives more insight into the Bulls’ plan. The Bulls do not view a potential trade of LaVine as the catalyst to the next rebuild. Instead, the Bulls view a potential LaVine trade as a reset that would allow them to keep the current core of DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic in place while acquiring a young star or lottery-pick talent that could be the centerpiece of the long-term core.