All-Star Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls are reportedly not at all on the same page, and several teams in the NBA are hoping it leads to the 27-year-old hitting the trade block in the near future.
The Bulls 2022-2023 campaign has been a disaster. Point guard Lonzo Ball has missed the entire season thus far, and it has proven to be a problem that has had a domino effect. Without the star guard, 2021 All-Stars LaVine and DeMar DeRozan have had serious chemistry issues and it’s led to a rumored schism between the two on the court.
Related: NBA trade deadline season opens – 10 players possibly on the move
On Tuesday, The Athletic’s NBA insider Shams Charania spoke in-depth about what Chicago has tried to do to cure their current ills and the sharks circling a team that could become sellers ahead of the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline.
“This is something the Bulls have been managing, through various remedy attempts. Whether it’s team meetings [or] one-on-ones that have been set up between both DeRozan and LaVine. I’m told right now the Bulls and LaVine just simply are not seeing eye-to-eye on the situation and the approach to winning… There are a host of teams right now that are monitoring the situation and waiting and trying to see whether the Bulls ultimately do make Zach LaVine available.”
– Report on Zach LaVine/Bulls issues
5 teams that could target Zach LaVine ahead of NBA trade deadline
Heading into a matchup on Wednesday, the Bulls are 12-18, and there is no clear indication of when Lonzo Ball will be able to return and try to save this sinking ship. All signs point to the Bulls blowing things up and trying to get some valuable players and assets on the trade market in the next month.
- Zach LaVine stats (2022): 21.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 37% 3PT FG
With that in mind, here are the five teams most likely to make a hard push for Zach LaVine on the NBA trade market.
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat were reportedly interested in deals for superstars Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell this summer. They never got close to a trade for either. While the team has played better in recent weeks, they are not the same group that reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season. They are badly in need of an influx of All-Star talent and LaVine would make a lot of sense for Miami in the short and long term.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies were allegedly a dark horse in the Durant sweepstakes. They are a powerhouse in the West again this season, however, when push comes to shove they probably won’t have enough to beat other star-studded teams to reach the Finals. Adding LaVine would go a long way in the arms race to help Memphis compete with the elites of the Western Conference.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are completely committed to making a big deal this offseason and have already been linked to the Bulls in recent weeks. The Bulls may see a swap of LaVine for Russell Westbrook as a chance to get out from under the massive $215 million contract they gave him this summer and jump back into NBA free agency next year with a bunch of cap space.
Dallas Mavericks
Despite Luka Doncic playing like an MVP candidate, the Dallas Mavericks have been a middle-of-the-road team at best in ’22-’23. Jalen Brunson’s departure has been a massive hole they have come nowhere close to filling. Their superstar needs All-Star-level help and a Doncic-LaVine backcourt in Dallas could be quite formidable over the next five years.
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks are one of the hottest teams in the NBA over the last few weeks. Chances are they will not be able to maintain this standard, but they certainly look like a playoff team this season. However, the organization could see LaVine as the final piece to a strong starting five that would feature Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Lavine, and Brunson.