When the Chicago Bulls paired Zach LaVine with Nikola Vucevic, DeMar DeRozan, and Lonzo Ball, this franchise envisioned a team that could compete at the very top of the Eastern Conference standings. This was true for a handful of weeks, but then Ball suffered a knee injury he has yet to recover from, and the Bulls have turned themselves into one of the most disappointing teams in the entire NBA.

Frustrations in Chicago have been very apparent through the years, as the team has held a handful of player-only meetings. Not to mention, much has been said about not everyone seeing eye-to-eye in the Bulls' locker room since last season.

LaVine has been at the center of frustrations for the Bulls, as the two-time All-Star's time in Chicago has come into question throughout the years. Although he signed a five-year, $215 million max contract with the Bulls in 2022 instead of leaving in free agency, it now appears as if LaVine is ready to move on with his career.

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, there has been an increased level of openness from both the organization and LaVine to explore trade options.

For many months, the Bulls had told other teams around the league that they were not willing to move any of their stars players. This was the case over the summer and Chicago had no desire to discuss moves involving LaVine, DeRozan, or Vucevic.

After beginning the 2023-24 season with a 4-7 record, the third-worst in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls' mindset has seemed to change. LaVine has been frustrated with the direction of the franchise for quite some time. Seeing as he still has close to $138 million left on his contract, not counting this season, the Bulls would be smart to cut ties with the 28-year-old if they were to rebuild.

Through 11 games this season, LaVine has averaged 21.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting just 40.9 percent from the floor and 30.9 percent from three-point range. LaVine has started in all 11 games he has played in for the Bulls this season.

Should the Bulls truly be interested in moving LaVine, there will be a handful of teams interested in the All-Star guard. The Philadelphia 76ers are an obvious suitor for the Bulls star after they recently dealt James Harden. Other teams such as the Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, and Memphis Grizzlies could also be in the market for a high-level shooting guard in order to make a real playoff push.

Conversations surrounding the Bulls possibly trading LaVine also bring up questions surrounding DeRozan's future. Currently in the final year of his contract, DeRozan recently turned 34 years old and it thought to be one of the better pending unrestricted free agents in the league.

If the Bulls were to trade LaVine, trade rumors surrounding DeRozan would obviously emerge. Nonetheless, Chicago has made it clear that they want the veteran wing to remain with the organization past his expiring contract, as VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas told reporters during media day that the organization “loves DeMar.”

The Bulls currently find themselves at a crossroads with no clear picture being painted for their future. Changes will be made to this roster at some point during the 2023-24 season and LaVine's departure could wind up being the first domino to fall.