Rival executives believe the Knicks, Mavericks, Lakers, and Heat would be among the most likely suitors for Zach LaVine if the Bulls were to make him available prior to this season’s February 9 trade deadline, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype said on the latest episode of HoopsHype’s podcast. However, with Chicago still hanging onto the 10th seed in the East despite a disappointing first half (17-21), there’s no indication that the team is on the verge of becoming a seller.
Here’s more from Scotto:
- The Mavericks owe their 2023 first-round pick to New York, but control all their future picks and could theoretically move one or more at the trade deadline. However, Scotto has heard the Mavs will be reluctant to give up a first-rounder unless it’s for a player they believe can help make them a title contender this season.
- Rival executives are keeping a close eye on the Heat as a team that may be active before the deadline, says Scotto. After finishing with the East’s best record in 2021/22, Miami is just 20-19 so far this season and holds the No. 8 seed. The team never really replaced P.J. Tucker after he departed in free agency and should have some tradable contracts, especially after Victor Oladipo and Dewayne Dedmon become movable on January 15 (though Oladipo will have veto power).
- Luguentz Dort is another player who will become trade-eligible on January 15, but don’t expect him to be mentioned in any rumors this season, according to Scotto, who says the Thunder view him as a part of the team’s long-term future alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
- Some people around the league believe the Raptors will be more active in trade talks beginning in mid-January, Scotto says. Toronto may have a better sense by then of which direction the team’s season is headed.
Only the Knicks have assets that the Bulls would want in a Lavine trade.
Knicks should target 3 players
Trae Young
DeRozan
LeVine
Facts! Lakers, Mavericks and Heat do not have the assets.
LaVine is not the answer for the Mavs.
On the one hand, we’ve seen this experiment before, when the Mavs added Porzingis to alleviate some of the pressure on Doncic and to give them a more multi-dimensional attack on offense. It failed. Why? Maybe it’s because Doncic needs to be THE guy, or maybe because the only proper complement for a guy like Doncic is a second Doncic: a ball-dominant, do-everything type of player who defenses cannot just ignore when they don’t have the ball in their hands (that excludes Russ because of the second half of that last sentence). On the other hand, and because we cannot clone Doncic…
The Mavs could win with a Doncic-LeBron combo. LeBron wants it, Doncic would love it, and it would be such a boon for Mavs fans and for the NBA altogether to see these two guys sharing one court and one basketball. Their skill sets are comparable and they complement each other to the point that all the Mavs would need otherwise is to fill the rest of the roster out with 3-and-D guys, some of whom could be had for pennies on the dollar right now [Crowder, Covington, Ibaka(?), Danny Green, Gary Harris… maybe bring in Beverley alongside LeBron].
Not sure what kind of trade capital Dallas has to make that work, but the Lakers would love to have more draft picks. And then the Lakers will have tons of cap room to round out their own roster surrounding AD if they believe in him ever being healthy and dependable again. If not, they could move him as well and start totally fresh. You never really have to worry if you’re the Lakers because players love L.A. and everyone wants to be a Laker already.
I’m not even a Mavs fan or a Lakers fan, but just as a BASKETBALL fan (Pistons are my squad) I would love to see LeBron finish out his career gracefully and competitively. The guy is hard not to root for. I’m about to turn 38 myself in a few weeks, and seeing what he’s doing at his age keeps me feeling young. I want to see him competing for championships and to see Doncic get a boost to his own career, since there’s not a whole lot else he can do individually.
This is the team-up the NBA needs right now.
LaVine
to the knicks doesn’t make sense.
Him and Brunson in the backcourt together would get eaten alive of defence. Not to mention LaVines inability to share ball handling duties with DeRozan could just amplify with Brunson Barrett and Randle.
to the Heat didn’t make sense
1 they don’t have the assets
2 they don’t really have the need with Tyler Herro already playing that combo guard all offence role.
3. I don’t think LaVine suits that locker room. Remember he was with Jimmy in Minny back when everyone hated Jimmy. Don’t think he has that dawg in him.
to the lakers
How? Russ and picks sure okay or will they demand AD in which case your giving up your best asset for LaVine who’s what the second best player on the 10th seed in the east and plays no defence. Only for Russ but even then I think they have big plans for FA and don’t want to lose the picks either.
Which leaves the Mavs and I could argue they don’t make sense either cause of the the defence of pairing of Luka and Zach together and how terrible that would be. However they pitiably have just enough assets (Hardaway Jr, Hardy, Green and a first idk just roughly). Of that package LaVine straight swaps with Hardaway and you open up roster spots to replace the young guys that weren’t getting big minutes anyway. I think I could see them also being desperate enough to jump at a potential third star like LaVine. Tie down Christian Wood and you’ve got a big 3 of sorts and fold players all locked up.
Not something I’d recommend but I could see happening
LaVine is either not fully recovered/rehabbed from his operation, or he’s decided to dial down his effort on the defensive end (from a low level to begin with). With that contract, as a guy who’s never been on a winning team before last year, I was looking for the opposite from him this year; stepping it up on the defensive end as part of taking ownership of the team’s performance.
The four teams mentioned probably had some understandable interest in ZL at various times in the past. Right now, I can’t see any of them having any energy to pursue him.