The Chicago Bulls appear to be done making moves in the 2024 NBA offseason. That includes trying to move on from Zach LaVine. Finding a team to take on the former All-Star has been a fruitless endeavor so far.
After years of losing and amid an offseason that has seen the departure of key players like DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso, LaVine doesn’t really love being with the Bulls right now. Getting younger and committing more to a rebuild is the right move for Chicago after years stuck in mediocrity but it understandably doesn’t sit right with a 29-year-old like LaVine.
The Bulls are done trying to kid themselves into thinking someone will trade for LaVine without also receiving mountains of draft assets. They know LaVine will be there on the roster to start the season, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
Stein writes the following: “League sources say that the Bulls are thus resigned to fact that they will likely be forced to start the new season with LaVine on the roster and take it a step further by trying to help him rebuild some trade value after months of fruitless efforts to find a new home via trade — and after a foot injury and eventual surgery limited the 29-year-old to 25 games last season.”
Bulls going to keep Zach LaVine heading
The Bulls didn’t miss last year’s version of LaVine, who wasn’t very good even when he was healthy. The concerns about his season-ending foot injury will linger, as well. But when LaVine is at his best, he's a spectacular scorer who can keep the ball moving when he attacks defenses.
Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and Coby White — all young players who can score and pass at varying levels — will need some help as they try to develop. If LaVine bounces back to being the high-octane scorer he was previously, they'll each have someone to lean on and relieve them of defensive pressure. Right now, the trade markets for him and fellow veteran Nikola Vucevic are dismal. That could change with a hot start to next season, though LaVine's massive contract will remain an obstacle.
LaVine may not be thrilled with the Bulls right now but trying to play his very best basketball only helps everyone. It means LaVine can be traded to a new team sooner, it will help Chicago get a better return for him and it will leave both sides splitting up on friendly terms.
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