It took a while, but the Chicago Bulls and Zach LaVine have finally started the arduous process of trading the two-time All-Star. With many NBA GMs in Chicago on Tuesday for the opening night of the college basketball season, The Athletic reported, there's now an increased willingness between the two parties to explore a trade.
Zach LaVine could change the championship landscape
LaVine is one of the league's more recognizable stars. He's a high-flying, high-volume scorer who can score with efficiency from all three levels. His pure basketballing talent is tremendous, but he isn't without warts. He has never developed into a sophisticated passer capable of running an offense for long swaths, his defense is poor, and he carries significant injury concerns over his surgically repaired left knee.
However, there are precious few players capable of combining his level of scoring volume and efficiency, and his lack of overall on-ball skill might be a selling point for some teams. LaVine is at his best playing off the ball, which should allow him to fit seamlessly next to another ball-dominant star as the second or third option on a devastating offense.
Zach LaVine's trade value may be underwhelming to Bulls fans
There will be no shortage of suitors for LaVine, but the overall package to land him may disappoint Bulls fans. LaVine is a good, but not great, player, and he's on the books for three more seasons after this at $43 million, $46 million, and has a $48.9 million player option for 2026-27. With where the cap is projected, those aren't backbreaking figures, but they're also not a steal.
A good starting point for any LaVine trade is the Suns' trade for Bradley Beal.
Beal is a good, but not great, shooting guard on a larger-than-ideal contract with injury concerns. The total package to land him was four first-round pick swaps, six second-round picks, Chris Paul's expiring contract, and Landry Shamet.
Pick swaps are not first-round picks. In some cases, they're nothing, and in others, they move you up a few slots in the draft. Pick swaps are not nothing, but they're the flimsiest of assets and feel more like a public relations exercise than an exchange of tangible value. It's impossible to exactly say what four swaps and six second-round picks equate to, but it's probably worth somewhere around two unprotected first-round picks.
For any team trading for LaVine, they'll believe the $40 million in matching salary and around two first-round picks should be market value. They're taking on the remainder of his deal, freeing up future flexibility for the Bulls, and are compensating them with players and assets. It isn't the king's ransom that Kevin Durant demanded, but LaVine is less a king and more a knight.
7. Zach LaVine to the Miami Heat
The Miami Heat spent all summer playing superstar guard musical chairs and had the indignity of falling flat on their backsides. True to Heat culture, they've managed to start the season 7-4 despite a slightly negative net rating (minus-0.2), and their 20th-ranked offense (111.1 points per 100 possessions) is their most obvious flaw.
Zach LaVine probably doesn't make the Heat an inner-circle contender, but he would easily be the most talented offensive player to run alongside Jimmy Butler in Miami. Miami also has the players, coaching, and schemes to mitigate his defensive limitations. No franchise has done more with less than the Heat over the past five seasons, just imagine what they could do with more.
To pry LaVine from Chicago, the Heat would likely need to send out both Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry, which creates its own salary issues. However, the inclusion of Alex Caruso solves that and will allow the Bulls to ask for a massive return. LaVine may be a household name, but Caruso is a star in his own right. He's one of the best defensive players in the league and fits Heat Culture like a glove.
The draft pick compensation will be steep, and the Heat will almost certainly have to drop the protections on the pick they owe to the Thunder, but three first-round picks and a swap is fair value for LaVine and Caruso.
The trade won't vault them over the Celtics in the East, but it should put them on par with the Sixers and Bucks. Jimmy Butler only has so many good years left, and it would be a waste to see them on mediocre teams.
6. Zach LaVine to the Los Angeles Lakers
Zach LaVine has already been linked to the Lakers, but any trade will be difficult to get across the finish line. The majority of their roster cannot be traded until either Dec. 15 or Jan. 15 due to NBA rules, and they can only trade one first-round pick, although they could include three swaps.
While mechanically trading for LaVine presents some obstacles, he would fit seamlessly into the Lakers and is the exact type of player they're missing. For as great as LeBron James and Anthony Davis are, they desperately need another dangerous scorer to lessen their offensive burden and jolt their 24th-ranked offense.
The Bulls probably aren't all that interested in D'Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura, but they're solid players on solid deals, and the Lakers' 2029 pick and swaps in 2028 and 2030 are extremely juicy assets.
The biggest obstacle to this deal is time. The Lakers cannot make this trade until Jan. 15, which puts them at a severe disadvantage. All any team has to do is make a better offer, and they're out of the running.
The addition of LaVine to LeBron, Davis, Austin Reaves, and whomever you want to be the fifth guy will be a dangerous lineup. The Lakers don't know how long they can count on LeBron playing at this level and should be willing to push their in chips for one last hurrah.
5. Zach LaVine to the Golden State Warriors
A mere 10 days ago, on Nov. 6, the Golden State Warriors looked like a real threat to unseat the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference. They were 6-2 and clicking on all cylinders. Then the past 10 days happened.
In that span, they've lost four straight games, Stephen Curry has undergone an MRI on a sore knee, and Draymond Green got suspended for five games because he decided that putting Rudy Gobert in a choke hold counts as de-escalation.
The Warriors, much like the Lakers with LeBron, don't have many more chances to win a title with this core, which is why they need to consider breaking up their Hall of Fame trio to land Zach LaVine.
Klay Thompson is a Warriors legend, but he's past his prime, and the rash of injuries he suffered between 2019 and 2021 have taken their toll. LaVine is a clear upgrade on Thompson at this point and gives the Warriors a better chance over the next few seasons to hand another banner.
The Bulls should find this trade intriguing because of Thompson's expiring $40 million salary. By flipping LaVine for Thompson, they'll net one unprotected first-round pick and two swaps and shave over $140 million off their books.
While the Warriors may be unenthusiastic to inherit so much future financial cost, the new Collective Bargaining Agreement makes aggregating salaries in trades more difficult. LaVine acts as an upgrade now, and his salary is perfect to utilize in another massive trade.
4. Zach LaVine to the Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic have the second-ranked defense and 26th-ranked offense in the NBA. Their defensive prowess has them at 6-5, and the owners of a plus-1.7 net rating, but this team needs more firepower if they want to make any noise in the playoffs.
The Magic have maybe the most talented young frontcourt in Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, but their guard rotation, while defensively fierce, is downright anemic by modern NBA standards. Zach LaVine would change that in an instant.
Jonathan Isaac has flashed his impressive defensive chops in limited action this season and would be a nice bet to make for a rebuilding team. His contract isn't fully guaranteed, so there's limited downside, but the upside he showed before a series of knee injuries remains. Gary Harris would be an instant candidate for another trade and is an expiring contract, and Jalen Suggs was the fifth overall pick in 2021 and is an excellent defensive guard.
The Magic can send the Bulls significant draft assets as well, and due to the age of their core, they won't have to worry much about getting burned on the back end. An unprotected pick, the Denver pick, and two swaps should be enough for the Bulls to bite.
The Magic might view this type of deal as being a year too early, but LaVine is under contract for at least another two seasons, and they have everything in place, outside of a guard who can score, to be a real threat.
3. Zach LaVine to the New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans have been a major disappointment this season. They've again suffered a string of injuries and are playing poor basketball. However, at full strength, they have a strong core, and they're brimming with enticing assets.
Zach LaVine is the perfect scoring guard to play alongside Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. He makes quick decisions, usually to score, and won't be another player in need of dribbles. His scoring gravity will open up opportunities for Williams and Ingram, and the Pelicans should see their 22nd-ranked offense finally get off the ground.
C.J. McCollum only has two more seasons left on his deal and is a solid player that should allow the Bulls to avoid bottoming out if that's the direction they want to take. Kira Lewis is in the trade for salary purposes and is on an expiring contract.
The real prize for the Bulls would be one of the Milwaukee Bucks' picks and possibly the Lakers' pick the Pelicans still control. If the Pelicans want to keep all of their own picks, making those three picks available would undoubtedly get the Bulls' attention, and still leave the Pelicans with plenty of assets to continue building their roster.
2. Zach LaVine to the Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets don't have many of their own picks to trade, but they do have an intriguing assortment of picks coming in from teams chasing championships right now, and they desperately need some offensive firepower.
The Nets currently have the eighth-ranked offense, but that's primarily due to massive 3-point shooting over performance. When their shooting starts to normalize, their offensive rating will slide, as they're not particularly good at generating free throws or grabbing offensive boards. While Zach LaVine won't stop the rest of the roster from regressing, he would help their offense continue to hang around the top ten.
A straight swap of Ben Simmons and three unprotected first-round picks for LaVine should be an enticing offer for Chicago. Simmons is viewed as a negative asset, but he makes less than LaVine over this season and the next two. While a bounceback for Simmons is looking increasingly unlikely, he has made an All-NBA team. Taking a flier on him plus three interesting picks from different teams is the exact type of move rebuilding teams should make.
The Nets might not want to move their assets just yet, but if they're interested in competing while Mikal Bridges is on one of the best deals in the sport, they need to act fast. He only has two more years after this season left on his deal, and once he lands a massive raise, acquiring a player of LaVine's quality becomes more difficult.
1. Zach LaVine to the New York Knicks
The New York Knicks are reportedly not on Zach LaVine's wishlist, which makes it a good thing he's under contract for four seasons and doesn't have a no-trade clause. The Knicks own a net rating of plus-4.0, are 6-5, with an expected record of 7-4, and have suffered through a brutal opening schedule. This is an excellent team, but they're a bit short on top-end talent compared to the Celtics, Bucks, and Sixers.
Zach LaVine doesn't make the most sense in New York, but he's incredibly talented and should fit seamlessly next to Jalen Brunson on offense. At the end of the day, talent wins, and for all of the Knicks' grit, they lack the talent to be a real threat in the playoffs.
Giving up RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson is a lot of current NBA production to give up, but LaVine is a better version of Barrett, and Isiah Hartenstein is one of the league's most overqualified backups. The Knicks also have a collection of protected first-round picks that they've had trouble offloading, but throwing all three at the Bulls should be enough to satisfy them.
Barrett is a young player on a reasonable deal but has failed to live up to his draft pedigree. He has started the season strong, but that's largely a product of his 50 percent shooting from three. The Knicks may want to see where he lands when regression hits, but there's a chance he's the same frustrating player he always has been.
Robinson has been excellent this season and absolutely brutalizes teams on the offensive glass. However, he's a rim-running, rim-protecting center. While ones of Robinson's quality aren't a dime a dozen, they're one of the easiest player archetypes to replace, and Hartenstein is not a significant downgrade.
The Knicks may want to keep their powder dry to land a tier-one star, but at some point, future flexibility has to become present value. The Knicks have been extremely disciplined with their assets in recent years and reaped the reward. However, players like LaVine aren't available all that often. The Heat learned the hard way this summer that patience isn't always a virtue.
