Seven seasons after landing with the Chicago Bulls as the centerpiece in the Jimmy Butler trade, Zach LaVine may have worn out his welcome in the Windy City. Being limited to just 25 games last season surely didn’t help the two-time All-Star’s chances of sticking around.
Yet, LaVine’s contract is likely the bigger issue here.
It’s not that LaVine isn’t talented. He’s an excellent three-level scorer who does just as well from the perimeter as he does at the rim. His career 20.5 PPG scoring average shows he’s fully capable of being a complementary scorer on nearly any roster, but his lack of defensive commitment is a bit of an issue, especially considering he has a $43 million cap hit in 2024.
It doesn’t get better from there. In 2025, LaVine is set to make $45.9 million, and in 2026, he has a $48.9 million player option. If he can return to All-Star status, he’ll opt out, but if he can’t, whatever team he’s on is stuck with a massive salary for a largely one-dimensional offensive talent.
Meanwhile, the Bulls still don’t have their face of the franchise who’s capable of putting the team on his back for a long playoff run. Even LaVine has shown glimpses, but Chicago’s not in a position to add to their six NBA Championships any time soon, and LaVine’s already 29.
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Chicago Bulls have tried to trade Zach LaVine 15 times
Somehow, the Bulls need to find a way to retool, and trading LaVine could be a good way to do it, yet, they’ve run into extreme difficulties unloading the bouncy guard.
According to Bulls insider K.C. Johnson, Chicago has presented at least 15 trade offers to other teams involving LaVine, to no avail.
“Zach LaVine’s future isn’t the only trade scenario that has been discussed, even if sources said Karnišovas has floated as many as 15 proposals centered on the two-time All-Star guard to various teams including the Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers.”
NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson on Zach LaVine trade efforts
This is where signing players to a massive contract extension comes back to bite certain teams. It’s certainly impacting the Bulls’ future right now.
Previous reports have suggested the Bulls may have to take significantly reduced value to unload LaVine. We don’t know what type of offers these 15 trade proposals entail, but maybe they’re just not ready to let go yet. Which, we don’t blame them for not wanting to sell low on a player who’s still very talented.
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