Bulls Preview: Trading Zach LaVine Key To Full Rebuild, But Good Luck With All That

October 11, 2024

Bulls Preview

A look at the Chicago Bulls entering the 2024-25 season …

Last Season: 39-43 (lost to the Heat in the play-in tournament)
New Faces: Josh Giddey, Jalen Smith, Chris Duarte, Matas Buzelis
Key Losses: DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, Andre Drummond, Javonte Green

Overview

Zach LaVine has been on the trade block for a while now, ever since signing his five-year, $215 million deal back in 2022. But the problem for the Bulls isn’t just that he’s available—it’s that nobody’s rushing to pay for him.

Sure, LaVine’s a two-time All-Star, a guy who can score in bunches. He averaged 26 points, five rebounds, and five assists on solid shooting splits. He’s the kind of player you think could be the centerpiece of something great.

But here’s the reality: LaVine has never been the guy to lead a team to real winning. He’s never made a serious impact on a playoff series. In fact, the Bulls, as a whole, have just one playoff win during his time there — not a series, one game.

The issue with trading LaVine isn’t just his contract, though that’s certainly a problem. He’s owed over $130 million over the next three years, which is 30% of the Bulls’ salary cap this season.

For teams interested in LaVine, that’s a big pill to swallow for a player who doesn’t play much defense and doesn’t make the players around him better. His injuries don’t help, either. Multiple surgeries on his knees and his foot, missing a third of his games in the last eight seasons.

Teams are worried. And that’s why Chicago would likely have to attach assets just to get someone to take him. They’ve already lost draft picks in bad trades. How much more are they willing to lose?

But the Bulls are stuck in no man’s land. They aren’t competing for a title with LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, and their attempts at contending have been a facade. DeMar DeRozan’s time is about done. Alex Caruso could be gone by the trade deadline. Vučević? His contract isn’t exactly easy to move, either.

Now, they’re handing the keys to the offense over to Josh Giddey, a 21-year-old playmaker they brought in to jumpstart the rebuild. Coby White looks like the first young guard they’ve developed since Derrick Rose. Matas Buzelis, their rookie, is part of the future. The Bulls are transitioning into a youth movement whether they like it or not.

LaVine is saying all the right things.

“I’m fully healthy,” he told reporters at media day, insisting he’s leaving any rumors or negativity behind him. He’s ready to focus on this team, on helping the younger guys, and on getting better.

That’s great. But anyone who’s been around long enough knows how this works. Once the losing starts, Chicago’s pecking order will fall right back into place. LaVine will be the high-usage player at the top, and the development of the young guys will be an afterthought.

The Bulls’ only real option is a full rebuild. Keeping LaVine and Vucevic only delays the inevitable.

Best-case scenario, they move those two by the deadline, pick up some expiring deals, maybe a second-round pick or two. Lonzo Ball makes a miraculous return and boosts his trade value, while Giddey steps into the lead playmaker role. White and Buzelis grow into the core. The Bulls lose a lot of games, but they see the light at the end of the tunnel and maybe catch a break in the lottery.

Worst-case? LaVine and Vucevic stay. Ball never gets healthy. The Bulls win just enough to miss out on a high draft pick, and their protected pick goes to the Spurs. Meanwhile, LaVine and Vucevic continue to stunt the growth of Buzelis and Giddey.

And the Bulls stay stuck in NBA purgatory, waiting for something — anything — to break their way.