Zach LaVine Report Crushes Bulls' Offseason Hopes
By Cem Yolbulan
There is widespread expectation among Bulls fans that Chicago will be one of the most active teams in the offseason. With DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams hitting free agency and Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball entering the final year of their contracts, the Bulls are at a pivotal crossroads. They will need to make the decision whether to finally embrace the rebuild, or mistakenly continue to try to be competitive.
The biggest factor in their decision will undoubtedly be the Zach LaVine situation. The All-Star shooting guard has three more years on his deal with an annual average salary of $46 million. After having a disappointing 2023-24 season, LaVine is facing a severely limited trade market, according to NBA reporter Evan Sidery. This is a major blow to Chicago's offseason hopes.
Bulls News: LaVine's Trade Market Is Close to Non-Existent
The Bulls will attempt to trade Zach LaVine this offseason, but his market appears to be severely limited.
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 26, 2024
Only one team reportedly showed interest in LaVine at the deadline, the Pistons, but they will likely pivot with GM Troy Weaver’s future with the organization seriously in… pic.twitter.com/P1WfegyiEW
LaVine made back-to-back All-Star appearances in 2021 and 2022, establishing himself as one of the best shooting guards in the league. His skillset on the offensive end of the ball, with the ability to shoot the three, attack the basket, and generate good shots for himself and others, earned him the massive extension the Bulls offered him.
Since then, however, things have consistently gone south for LaVine and the Bulls. Now, that contract is considered one of the worst contracts in the NBA, making it hard to move.
LaVine had an injury-plagued 2023-24 season, only appearing in 25 games and averaging 19.5 points per game.
If any team is willing to trade for him, they will be doing so with the hopes of a bounce-back campaign from the 29-year-old. Even then, however, it's hard to see any team giving up any valuable assets for LaVine.
This means that the Bulls may be stuck with LaVine unless they are willing to give up assets to get out of his contract. That also doesn't seem feasible considering that the Bulls are too far from contending to give up draft capital to offload bad contracts.
The only thing Chicago can hope for is a desperate team like the Detroit Pistons. They have previously shown interest in LaVine at the trade deadline and if they feel like they have to take a step forward next season after a disastrous 2023-24 campaign, they might be the only team willing to take him on. At this point, the Bulls should probably be fine with whatever they can get for LaVine.
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