Two-time All-Star Zach LaVine is no longer considered a lock to return to the Bulls, with “league gossip” linking him to rival teams, as reported by K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago a couple of weeks ago. With that in mind, Frank Urbina of HoopsHype explores four potential teams who might pursue the 27-year-old in unrestricted free agency this summer.
The Lakers would obviously have interest, but acquiring LaVine would be complicated because it would require moving Russell Westbrook first, or him to be involved in a sign-and-trade. They’d also be hard-capped at that point and only able to sign minimum-salaried players to fill out the rest of the roster, per HoopsHype’s Yossi Gozlan.
Lavine makes sense as a fit next to Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, according to Urbina, and Detroit has the ability to create enough cap space to sign him outright. However, after reaching the postseason for the first time in his career in 2021/22, I’m skeptical LaVine would be interested in joining a rebuilding club.
The Heat and Hawks are two other sign-and-trade possibilities, but Urbina notes that HoopsHype and other publications still believe LaVine returning to Chicago is the most likely outcome, as the Bulls can re-sign LaVine for up to $212.3MM over five years, while rival teams will be limited to four years at $157.4MM.
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic lists 10 offseason questions looming over Chicago this summer. Mayberry wonders how the Bulls can go from good to great, whether they’ll be able to re-sign LaVine, where things stand with Lonzo Ball‘s balky knee, how to improve the team’s depth, and whether or not it’s the right time to deal away guard Coby White (who’s eligible for a rookie scale extension on July 1), among several other questions.
- The Bulls worked out former Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell on Wednesday, as Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago relays (via Twitter). The Bulls control the No. 18 pick and Liddell is currently No. 20 on ESPN’s big board, so he could be a realistic target at that spot. Liddell had an impressive junior season for the Buckeyes, averaging 19.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 2.6 BPG on .490/.374/.765 shooting in 32 games (33.2 MPG).
- Memphis forward Josh Minott will also work out for Chicago on Thursday, tweets Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. Minott is currently No. 48 on ESPN’s board and averaged 6.6 PPG and 3.8 RPG in a limited role as a freshman (33 games, 14.6 MPG).
Come on to the A Zach, we’d love to have u… in the meantime here’s a lil something for my fellow fans of the sweet science.. LeBron=Floyd.. Shaq=Lennox.. Trae=Shakur.. Iverson=Tyson.. Embiid=Fury.. Ja=Gervonta.. Giannis=Spence.. Jokic=Usyk.. Duncan=Ward.. Booker=Haney.. KD=Bud.. Magic=Leonard.. Bird=Duran.. Zion=Benavidez.. KAT=AJoshua.. Steph=Pernell.. Kareem=Ali.. Luka=Canelo.. Kobe=Manny.. Barkley=Foreman.. CP3=Loma.. Morris twins=Charlo twins.. Harden=GGG.. Gervin=Hearns.. Russ=Jermell.. ADavis=Wilder.. Siakam=Bivol.. Dr J=Hagler.. Jordan=Ray Robinson
Article’s about Zach so I’ll give him 1 too.. Zach=Gary Russell Jr.. Derozan=Thurman.. Coby=Colbert.. EJ Liddell=Berlanga
Sillivan like post, LoL
Not a boxing fan I see
I like boxing, but i don’t get the point of doing that.
Agreed
If you were a boxing fan you’d get it. Since you obv don’t, feel free to move along
more silliness
I am a boxing fan…Personally seeing Iverson as Tyson is laughable…Jung Koo Chang would be more appropriate.
AI & Tyson get a different type of love & respect than other athletes. Vick would also be 1 of these guys. They are icons in my community even more than guys like Floyd or MJ that accomplished way more. Tyson & AI just had an impact on the hood that is extremely rare
dude cant help himself. this foolishness is on every other thread
I would say Shaq-Fury and Kobe-Floyd
I could see Shaq/Fury. I feel like Shaq & Lennox were both dominant around the same time & both hold similar places among the all-time great centers/heavyweights. Slightly below the top 2or3 ever but well above everyone else… Bron & Floyd are the best of my era. They were/are both largely hated by white America. Both Midwest guys. Both guys about as financially successful as any athlete in the history of the world. Both guys from the hood. Floyd is way more Bron than Kobe. You’re not gonna catch Floyd snitching to police about a teammate lol. Floyd beat Manny 9rds to 3 (or 8-4 if u love Manny). LeBron beat Kobe 16-6 in their career. I could go on
We Saw That Ridiculous Zach LaVine Trade Idea from media producer.
Randle for LaVine
Westbrook for LaVine
Someone should have stopped the social media manager and producer from allowing crazy trade to enter the universe.
levine for westbrook might work if it creates cap space for the bulls the year after. otherwise they are stuck in the middle, which is the worst place to be
So the Bulls should trade Lavine for cap space without having any plausible pathway to acquiring a player who is better than Zach Lavine?
They could create cap space by letting Levine walk if that’s what they want. Westbrook gives the bulls nothing by himself in that swap.
Bring LaVine home to the Twolves with a sign and trade Russel for LaVine.
I’m guessing Minnesota would be 1 of the last places Zach would wanna go
The rumor mill in Detroit has always been that the Pistons would take a run at a big man like Ayton. I love the idea of Lavine. If you trade Grant, that should still leave enough room to go after Mitchell, who I think has good upside and fits what the stones are looking for…a rim protector who can get a lob.
Lavine goes to Chicago for the max, unless they get gun shy. They almost have to offer it to him.
Word
Talk about futility.
Bulls aren’t going anywhere with their current roster anyway. They play no defense, and the starting 5 can’t stay on the court together for more than a handful of games.
They do play defense, if the defenders are healthy. They have an imperfect roster for sure. But, the roster is very competitive when healthy. As you said, they did not prove they could stay healthy last season. I’d run it back with a few small changes and see what happens.
Paindonthurt : agree,they were top 5 in defense with healthy lonzo and carushow. But in playoff bulls need better in defense.
Liddell would be my pick. He definitely fills a need, and would be a good defensive addition. It works for me.
If,big if,jeremy sochan available, i would take him over liddle.