It is never easy to make a trade in the NBA. Between all the financial restrictions impacting trades and the new tax aprons that limit certain teams' abilities to execute deals, we have seen fewer trades made over the last year. While it seems inevitable that the Chicago Bulls will look to move on from Zach LaVine, they have been unable to accomplish said task due to the fact that he is tied for the 17th-highest cap hit in the league heading into the 2024-25 season.
LaVine, a two-time All-Star with the Bulls, finds himself in a very interesting spot with Chicago. Although the team has held interest in trading him ever since he signed his $215 million contract in 2022, LaVine is now the best player on what looks to be a rebuilding Bulls roster.
DeMar DeRozan joined the Sacramento Kings by way of a sign-and-trade this offseason, and Alex Caruso was dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Nikola Vucevic is still around as the Bulls starting center, but he too finds himself on the trade block. As a whole, the Bulls are heading in a new direction, with Coby White, Patrick Williams, and newly acquired Josh Giddey as the immediate focal points of their roster. First-round pick Matas Buzelis will also hold a prominent role during his rookie season.
A trade involving LaVine is not going to develop this offseason. There is zero interest in the All-Star around the league, and the three years remaining on his contract, which are valued at roughly $43 million per season, are a lot to ask a team to take on. Essentially, the Bulls are stuck with LaVine ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Overall, this may not be a terrible thing considering that LaVine can now be the featured player without any interruption, a role he has thrived in during his tenure with the Bulls. Better yet, the Bulls and LaVine may be able to improve his outlook on the trade market with Giddey and possibly Lonzo Ball leading the backcourt.
How Josh Giddey impacts Bulls, Zach LaVine
Giddey is, by no means, the best point guard or facilitator in the league. However, the Bulls believe that the young Australian swingman can do a little bit of everything to escalate their rebuild or re-tooling process, whatever they want to call it at this point.
Over his first three seasons in the league with the Thunder, Giddey has averaged 13.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 46.4 percent from the floor. Aside from being a secondary scoring option, Giddey is going to help lead the Bulls' offense. This means LaVine won't always have the ball in his hands, and he won't be tasked with consistently running the offense for this team.
In regards to the Bulls as a whole, Giddey gives them an all-around talent on offense who can do just about anything asked of him. These are the types of players this organization needs around LaVine, especially since they are looking to trade him. The only way for LaVine's value to improve is for him to excel as this team's leading scorer, a role that Giddey can help the star with due to the Aussie's ability to consistently get his teammate the ball in advantageous situations.
The Bulls' future, regardless of when LaVine is moved, is reliant upon Giddey's success as a secondary playmaker and ball-handler.
Lonzo Ball's pending return
Lonzo Ball has not stepped foot on the court for the Bulls since January 2022 when he originally suffered a meniscus injury in his left knee. Over the last two years, Ball has undergone several knee procedures to try and work his way back onto the court pain-free.
While this has not happened to this point, Ball does appear to be on the road to recovery ahead of the 2024-25 season. At last, the Bulls may be getting their point guard back, which would be a major boost to this organization as a whole. In May, Ball was asked if he thought he would be ready for the start of next season. His response was simple: “Yes, I firmly believe that, that's the plan that I'm on, and I haven't said any setbacks. I expect to play the first game.”
Whether or not Ball will actually play in the first game of the 2024-25 season is yet to be seen, but his return almost acts as a major addition for the Bulls because of how good he is as a passer and facilitator. Of course, a lot factors into Ball's return, and he may not be the same player he once was. However, when looking at the product of the games he has played in Chicago, it's clear to see that Ball brings value.
During the 2021-22 season, prior to Ball's injury, the Bulls held a 27-13 record. This was the best record in the Eastern Conference at the time. Without Ball, Chicago finished with a 46-36 record. Aside from positively impacting the Bulls' chances of winning, Ball also made LaVine a better player. In the 33 games these two have played together, LaVine has averaged 24.5 points per game while shooting 47.4 percent from the floor.
With Ball and Giddey handling the primary ball-handling duties, LaVine will be able to find the open floor and ways to score without always having to create for himself. This is the area in which teams tend to have concerns when pondering a trade for LaVine, as he has been so ball-dominant through the years. It is not crazy to believe that Ball could help LaVine unlock a new strength on offense.
Zach LaVine's trade value can only increase
A large contract and the inability to be effective without the ball in his hands have been the two largest concerns teams have expressed about LaVine. If he were making around $20 million this season, the star would undoubtedly find himself as a focal point for a new team outside of Chicago.
Whether or not LaVine can be traded by the Bulls during the 2024-25 season for value depends on if he can become a more well-versed offensive weapon. Unlike playing on the Bulls, LaVine isn't going to be the No. 1 or No. 2 option for virtually any other team in this league. That is why improving his perimeter shooting and really focusing on his defense could prolong his high level of play and career in the NBA.
The bottom line is that LaVine's trade value can only improve during the 2024-25 season. No team has shown legitimate interest in the All-Star at this time, and that is mainly because of his contract.
Very few teams in the NBA have the ability to absorb a max-level contract and remain in the same tax bracket. That is why LaVine still finds himself with the Bulls. At the end of the day, this is not the worst thing for the 29-year-old, as he will once again be the featured player in Chicago since DeRozan departed for Sacramento this summer. Opportunity is all any player looks for, and LaVine will be able to continue proving that he is among the top percentile of offensive players in the NBA.
The outside noise of him being traded will be around throughout the 2024-25 season. How this impacts LaVine's play is yet to be seen.
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