Zach Lavine Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Notes: Vucevic, Craig, Duarte, LaVine Trade, Phillips

February 3rd, 2025 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The three-team deal that will send Zach LaVine to Sacramento could be the start of an active stretch for the Bulls before Thursday’s deadline, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Parting with LaVine indicates that vice president Arturas Karnisovas is now fully committed to rebuilding, which means veteran center Nikola Vucevic and a few others could be heading out next.

Cowley reveals that Vucevic thought he had already been traded when he woke up Sunday morning and found his phone filled with text messages. They all turned out to be about the shocking deal that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers.

“I went early to bed; I’m 34, you gotta go to bed earlier,” Vucevic said. “I woke up, and I had, like, 50 messages. I was like, ‘Oh, where am I going?’’’

Cowley notes that the Doncic trade creates a major opportunity for the Bulls to move Vucevic. With Anthony Davis gone from L.A., the team needs help in the middle and may be a logical destination for Vucevic, who is having one of the best offensive seasons of his career.

“I don’t play the linked game much,” Vucevic said. “I don’t really get involved with that too much. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a more interesting answer. You never know. Things happen. But I don’t think anyone in the world knew this trade was going to happen besides [Mavericks general manager] Nico Harrison and [Lakers GM] Rob Pelinka, and it happened. I’m focused on what I can control.”

There’s more on the Bulls:

A source tells Cowley that more trades are expected this week as the front office tries to remake the roster. He reports that Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley both returned to Chicago after road games over the past week to plot the team’s deadline strategy. Before the Doncic or LaVine deals were reported, one player told Cowley that this year’s deadline feels different, indicating that the locker room is bracing for major changes.
Because they’re taking back three players and only sending out one, the Bulls will have to open up two roster spots before the LaVine trade can be finalized. Cowley reports that the team is trying to trade Torrey Craig and Chris Duarte, but isn’t finding much interest and may have to place them on waivers.
While Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins and Tre Jones seems like a meager return for LaVine, who was putting up huge scoring numbers, Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune says the trade should be judged in context. The Bulls tried for more than a year to find a taker for LaVine, and parting with the nearly $95MM he’s owed over the next two seasons will give them much more financial flexibility. From Chicago’s standpoint, the key to the deal was getting back full control of this year’s first-round pick from the Spurs. Poe notes that rebuilding teams need all the draft assets they can get, but adds that the franchise shouldn’t be in this position after giving up the pick on a protected basis when it acquired DeMar DeRozan from San Antonio in 2022.
In a separate story, Cowley talks to Julian Phillips about his reduced playing time after coach Billy Donovan recently shook up his rotation. The second-year small forward had been seeing regular minutes earlier in the season. “It hasn’t been frustrating for me,” Phillips said. “You kind of have to go with what the team thinks is best. And whatever that is from a coaching standpoint, it’s what it’s going to be, so I can only do the best I can to stay ready whenever I do get that opportunity.”

Warriors Halt Jimmy Butler Trade Talks

February 2nd, 2025 at 9:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cross the Warriors off the list of potential Jimmy Butler suitors, at least for now.

Butler has communicated to the Warriors that he’s unwilling to sign an extension there, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Twitter link). In response, trade talks between the Heat and Warriors have halted, according to Windhorst.

The Warriors are reportedly interested in making a significant move before the trade deadline and Butler was one of the logical candidates to fulfill that goal. However, it’s well-known that Butler wants to be dealt to the Suns, who are hamstrung in making a blockbuster move because they’re operating over the second tax apron.

The only way Phoenix can complete such a deal to allow Butler to join forces with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant would be to send out Bradley Beal‘s contract. Miami hasn’t shown any interest in acquiring Beal, who has two years remaining on his contract after this season, including a $57.1MM option for 2026/27. Beal also has a no-trade clause and would have to agree to waive it whether he was routed to Miami or a third party.

The Suns are still the team pushing the hardest to land Butler ahead of Thursday’s deadline, the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang reports. In any Butler trade, the Heat want to acquire at least one quality player who can help the team this season, Chiang adds.

Butler, who has been suspended indefinitely by Miami for repeated violations of team rules, holds a $52.4MM option on his contract for next season.

Golden State also seriously explored trade proposals to acquire both Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučevic from the Bulls before opting to pursue other deals, NBA insider Marc Stein tweets. LaVine is on the move to Sacramento.

Steve Kerr: “We Don’t Have Enough To Separate Ourselves”

February 1st, 2025 at 9:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

A few weeks ago, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr urged the front office to be patient and see how the current roster is able to come together. He had a much different message before Friday’s game against Phoenix, writes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle.

Responding to a question, Kerr said he believes Golden State has the talent to remain a playoff contender, Then he added, “But we’ve also shown that we don’t have enough to separate ourselves from the rest of the West. The point is we’re not in a position where we can just say, ‘No, we’re good, let’s stand pat.’ That’s the reality of where we are.”

The Warriors are 24-24 after falling to the Suns, leaving them tied for the 10th spot in the West. They play two more times before Thursday’s deadline, when a final decision will have to be made on whether to take a big swing in hopes of salvaging the season.

The team has been linked to Heat forward Jimmy Butler now that Miami’s asking price has reportedly gone down, as well as Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic from the Bulls. Kerr said he talks every day to general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. about the roster and any available trade opportunities.

“If there’s something that makes sense, he’s going to do it,” Kerr said. “If not, then I’m very comfortable going forward with this team because I know what we’re capable of, and I know the guys. Hopefully we can capture a little more momentum here.”

Even if they don’t opt for a trade, the Warriors will have reinforcements coming as their injured players start to heal. Gordon states that Draymond Green, who’s sidelined with a calf injury, is expected back next week, while Jonathan Kuminga, who has been out of action since January 4 with a sprained right ankle, may return around the All-Star break.

The Warriors are hoping to maximize the final years of Stephen Curry, who has two more seasons left on his contract. Sources tell Anthony Slater of The Athletic that there’s “a growing level of urgency” to shake up the current roster and they’ve offered their protected 2025 first-round draft pick around the league to see what they can get in return.

Curry deflected direct questions about roster needs, saying he’s not in position to make those decisions, but he recognizes the need to improve. He also acknowledges the tension that accompanies the trade deadline, particularly among veterans such as Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II, who would like to remain with the team.

“You’re another year away from the ’22 (title), so it’s a little less of a … I think every trade deadline in a sense has been a little uneasy,” Curry said. “But the further you get away from winning, it becomes more of a sense of urgency. It’s the NBA. It’s nothing different from what guys have experienced before. You have to be able to play through it, keep confidence, understand there’s only so many things you can control, just play basketball.”

Bulls Notes: Ball, LaVine, Vucevic, Buzelis

February 1st, 2025 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2024/25 season has already been a huge success for Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball, who returned from a two-and-a-half-year absence and three knee surgeries and has been an effective role player through his first 28 appearances of the season.

However, Ball continues to push for a larger role within Chicago’s rotation, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times and Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune detail. While playing in back-to-backs remains off the table for the former No. 2 overall pick, team doctors agreed this week to increase Ball’s minutes restriction to 28, according to Poe.

“Every stage, they’ve wanted to see how he’s managed the minutes along the way,” head coach Billy Donovan said, per Cowley. “So it started at 16, then up to 22, then we got to 24. And as long as he feels good and he’s responding, that’s the biggest thing. How does he look the next day? And if he does have any swelling or soreness the next day, any difficulty, then they would start to monitor his minutes. But everything he’s done up to this moment with the restrictions that have been on him has been positive.”

Ball’s per-game averages of 7.0 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in 21.1 minutes are all career lows, and his shooting percentages of 36.9% from the floor and 34.7% on three-pointers are below his career rates.

However, like he did in his first season with the organization back in 2021/22, Ball has made the Bulls a better team when he’s on the court. Chicago has outscored opponents by 4.6 points per 100 possessions during his 590 minutes of action and has been outscored by 6.1 points per 100 possessions during the 1,767 minutes he hasn’t played.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

The Bulls have remained in contact with the Suns and Warriors with the trade deadline just five days away, a source tells Cowley, as the front office monitors where those two teams stand in the Jimmy Butler talks. Either one of those clubs could pivot to pursuing Zach LaVine and/or Nikola Vucevic if they don’t end up getting Butler, Cowley notes, though Golden State would be better positioned than Phoenix to make a run at one of those Bulls veterans. Chicago also remains interested in getting involved in a Butler deal as a facilitator, but that’s a longer shot, Cowley adds.
Vucevic isn’t pushing for a trade and said he’s not thinking about leaving Chicago, given that he won’t be a free agent until 2026, but he acknowledged to Poe that – at age 34 – he wouldn’t mind being closer to title contention than he is this season with the 21-28 Bulls. “I’m getting closer to the end of my career,” Vucevic said. “I would like to be somewhere that’s in win-now mode.”
Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis has been playing some of his best basketball of the season as of late. The first-year forward scored 12 points in each of his past two outings and was a plus-18 in 26 minutes of action in Friday’s win over Toronto as he continues to earn Donovan’s trust. “The biggest growth I’ve seen with him is quite honestly he plays a lot harder now,” Donovan said after Wednesday’s loss to Boston, according to Cowley. “Not that he didn’t play hard, but I don’t think he understood the level of intensity and energy he needs to raise himself up to.”

And-Ones: All-Star Snubs, WNBA, Clark, Europe, Canales

January 31st, 2025 at 10:38pm CST by Luke Adams

There weren’t enough backcourt spots to go around on this year’s All-Star teams, in the view of Marc J. Spears of Andscape, whose annual eight-man “All-Snub” team is made up of seven guards and one center.

Outside of big man Domantas Sabonis, the most glaring omissions from this year’s All-Star rosters were all guards, Spears writes, identifying Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, Zach LaVine, and Tyrese Maxey as four worthy All-Star candidates who didn’t make the cut in the Eastern Conference despite the fact that both Eastern wild card spots went to backcourt players.

Over in the West, Kyrie Irving, Devin Booker, and Norman Powell joined Sabonis as the players most deserving of All-Star recognition who weren’t among the 12 Western players chosen to participate in the game, according to Spears.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Several NBA team owners submitted bids for expansion WNBA franchises ahead of this week’s deadline. Vince Goodwill of Yahoo Sports says Pistons owner Tom Gores was among the owners to put in a bid, while Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter links) reports that the Sixers‘, Cavaliers‘, and Rockets‘ ownership groups also put forth formal bids. The new teams approved by the WNBA as a result of this round of bidding would begin play in 2028.
In other WNBA-related news, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has decided not to take part in a special three-point shooting challenge at the NBA’s All-Star weekend in February, per an ESPN report. There had been speculation that Clark could take part in a contest similar to last year’s Stephen Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu shootout, but she wants to compete in her first three-point contest at the WNBA’s All-Star weekend in Indianapolis later this year, according to her representatives at Excel Sports.
If the NBA moves forward with its plan to launch a new professional league in Europe, what will it look like? ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has published an informative primer, while Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews has shared his latest reporting on the subject. Interestingly, Windhorst notes that commissioner Adam Silver and his top lieutenants are “deeply involved” in the European endeavor and wonders if the league’s focus on “NBA Europe” might further delay the timeline for expansion stateside.
Veteran NBA assistant and current Texas Legends associate head coach Kaleb Canales will be named head coach of the Calgary Surge in the Canadian Elite Basketball League, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link). The CEBL season takes place during the NBA offseason, so Canales could rejoin an NBA staff for the 2025/26 season, Haynes notes.

Warriors Looking To Make ‘Significant’ Trade?

January 30th, 2025 at 4:18pm CST by Rory Maher

Despite an impressive win over Oklahoma City on Wednesday, the Warriors‘ front office seems realistic about the state of the team’s roster and is prepared to make a “significant” deal ahead of next week’s trade deadline, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported on NBA Today (YouTube link).

“This is not really a replicable situation and that’s one of the reasons why you keep hearing the Warriors’ names in trade talks,” Windhorst said Thursday (hat tip to RealGM). “And I know a couple of weeks ago Steph Curry said, ‘We don’t need to do anything desperate’ and all of a sudden they were out.

“I’m telling you, in the last few days, I hear the Warriors are dipping their toes back in the trade market to make a significant move. And just not necessarily for some of the names you’ve heard in the past. I think everybody is kind of riding the fence here, not sure which way this team goes.”

Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic confirmed on Wednesday that Golden State had some new discussions with Miami about Jimmy Butler, though they cautioned that the Warriors had reservations about trading for the 35-year-old. According to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, both Curry and head coach Steve Kerr are wary about Butler’s possible fit in the locker room.

Slater and Thompson also revealed that the Warriors were more intrigued by Bulls star Zach LaVine than Butler. They still have reservations about his injury history and the players they’d have to give up to acquire him, but view LaVine as a better culture fit — he’s also six years younger than Butler. Slater and Thompson identified Bulls center Nikola Vucevic as a “secondary” target.

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network hears the Warriors are actively engaged in trade talks with several teams and are evaluating multiple scenarios, with LaVine and Vucevic being two of them (Twitter link). Johnson points out (via Twitter) that Kerr was an assistant coach with Team USA in 2021 when LaVine helped the Americans win the gold medal, later praising him for the way he accepted his role.

“He just got it. He understood what the team needed,” Kerr said.

Bulls’ Coby White To Return Against Celtics

January 29th, 2025 at 5:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

In a bit of a surprise, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan told reporters that guard Coby White is set to return from an injury absence on Wednesday against the Celtics, per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link).

White has been on the shelf with a right ankle bone bruise since January 19.

Chicago is in the midst of a three-game road trip. As recently as Tuesday, Donovan had expected White to at least miss the Boston clash, as he apparently has been dealing with some pain in the ankle fairly recently.

All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine, meanwhile, will be away from the team Wednesday while he awaits the birth of his third child. According to Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune, LaVine may end up missing the Bulls’ entire three-game road trip, which runs through Sunday.

The 20-27 Bulls are currently the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, just one game ahead of Philadelphia for the East’s final play-in tournament spot. The team has gone 2-2 in its four games without White.

The 6’5″ vet is averaging 18.2 points, 4.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds through 40 healthy contests this season. White has posted a .437/.364/.874 shooting line.

The 24-year-old almost instantly outperformed the three-year, $36MM free agent deal he inked with Chicago ahead of the 2023/24 season as a restricted free agent. Provided he stays healthy, White could be in line for a major raise when that agreement expires in 2026.

Warriors Rumors: LaVine, Butler, 2025 Pick, Vucevic, Tax

January 29th, 2025 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Having reported at the start of the month that the Warriors were unlikely to pursue Heat star Jimmy Butler, Anthony Slater of Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic reiterate that there was “zero push” at any level of the organization to go after Butler at that time due to concerns about the price and his fit.

However, Slater and Thompson confirm that Golden State has some renewed interest in the 35-year-old now that Miami’s asking price has dropped, though they caution that team sources have downplayed the Warriors’ involvement in the Butler sweepstakes.

The drama Butler has caused in Miami is “not lost on this locker room” in Golden State, according to The Athletic’s reporters, who say that Bulls guard Zach LaVine might be of more interest to the Warriors if the front office decides to make a run at a maximum-salary player.

LaVine is several years younger than Butler and his cap hit is a few million dollars lower. There’s also a sense that he’d be a good culture fit and a belief that the Warriors need a second legitimate scoring threat to complement Stephen Curry, Slater and Thompson write.

On the other hand, LaVine’s longer-term contract and history of health issues make him a risk, and the Warriors have concerns about what they’d have to give up to match salaries for a player like LaVine or Butler. Andrew Wiggins ($26.3MM), an important two-way contributor, would likely have to be involved, and potential trade chips on expiring contracts like Gary Payton II ($9.1MM) and Kevon Looney ($8MM) have been valuable locker-room presences, per The Athletic.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Golden State is willing to move a protected form of its 2025 first-round pick in the right deal, according to Slater and Thompson, who hear from league sources that the Warriors aren’t enamored with the prospects expected to be on the board in the second half of the first round. Moving a lottery-protected 2025 first-rounder would allow Golden State to either convey the pick in June and then dangle future first-rounders (starting with 2026) during the offseason or – if the ’25 pick lands in the top 14 – give the front office a valuable asset in a top-heavy draft to use or trade this summer.
Although it’s not their top priority, the Warriors are mulling the idea of acquiring a stretch center, The Athletic’s duo says. Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is viewed as a “secondary” target, with varying opinions within the organization about how much he’d help. For what it’s worth, Vucevic considers Golden State a desirable landing spot if Chicago trades him, per Slater and Thompson.
Ducking out of luxury tax territory this season isn’t mandatory, with the Warriors prioritizing present and future on-court improvements, team sources tell The Athletic. If the club ends up getting out of the tax as a result of a trade, it would be viewed as an “added benefit.” Golden State is currently operating nearly $6MM over the tax line.

Trade Rumors: Nets, Fox, Butler, Bucks, LaVine, Lakers, Turner

January 29th, 2025 at 7:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have interest in Kings guard De’Aaron Fox and view him as a potential trade target, but they haven’t given up on the idea of eventually landing Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who describes the Bucks star as Brooklyn’s “white whale.”

A desire to preserve their most valuable trade assets for Antetokounmpo if there’s even the slightest chance that he’ll become available would complicate the Nets’ efforts to make a deal for Fox, Lewis notes. It’s also unclear whether the 2023 All-Star would have interest in signing a long-term contract in Brooklyn, though the presence of head coach Jordi Fernandez – a former Kings assistant – would presumably work in the Nets’ favor.

Brooklyn is one of many teams around the NBA with interest in Fox — Shams Charania of ESPN said during a late-night appearance on SportsCenter on Tuesday (YouTube link) that the Kings had already gotten “dozens” of calls on the star guard.

The one team consistently linked to Fox is San Antonio. Charania confirmed during his SportsCenter appearance that the Spurs are “atop (Fox’s) list of preferred destinations.”

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

Checking on the Jimmy Butler situation, Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) says his sources remain skeptical about the possibility of the Grizzlies acquiring the Heat forward, who reportedly doesn’t want to end up in Memphis.
On the other hand, Stein continues to hear whispers about Milwaukee as a possible Butler suitor, noting that Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis are the kinds of win-now players on short-term deals who may appeal to Miami. Whether or not they make a play for Butler, the Bucks are considered “as determined as any team” to make a pre-deadline deal in the hopes of beefing up the supporting cast around stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Stein adds.
K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (YouTube link; hat tip to BrewHoop) confirms that the Bucks have interest in Bulls star Zach LaVine, which was speculated last week. However, with Phoenix guard Bradley Beal said to be uninterested in waiving his no-trade clause to go to Chicago, that likely eliminates one potential multi-team scenario in which LaVine could end up in Milwaukee.
With the Bulls seeking a first-round pick for Nikola Vucevic and the Wizards asking for a protected first-rounder for Jonas Valanciunas, the Lakers are exploring other center options and have discussed internally whether it makes sense to put both of their tradable first-round picks (2029 and 2031) on the table for Pacers big man Myles Turner, sources tell Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints. It’s unclear if Indiana would actually move its starting center, but there has reportedly been some chatter around the league about whether the Pacers will be comfortable meeting Turner’s asking price when he reaches unrestricted free agency in July.

Bulls Notes: Williams, Buzelis, Terry, White, LaVine, Vucevic

January 28th, 2025 at 7:44am CST by Luke Adams

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan made what Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune describes as a “long overdue” change to his starting lineup on Monday vs. Denver, moving forward Patrick Williams to the bench and elevating guard Ayo Dosunmu in his place.

As Poe notes, Chicago’s guard-heavy starting five allowed the club to better match up with a Nuggets team that was starting three guards of its own (Jamal Murray, Russell Westbrook, and Christian Braun), so there’s no guarantee Donovan will stick with the lineup change going forward. Still, the results were compelling.

The slumping Bulls picked up just their second win in their last nine games, registering a 129-121 victory over Denver, and Williams’ +16 mark in 28 minutes off the bench was a personal season high. After contributing 11 points and eight rebounds, the fifth-year forward – who had started 35 of 36 games before Monday – admitted to reporters that he didn’t mind being moved to the bench (Twitter video link via Poe).

“I would say yeah,” Williams said when asked if he’s more comfortable in a reserve role,” but I wouldn’t say I’m uncomfortable with starting. The second unit needs different things than the first unit. I’ve always tried to be a player that tries to fill any gap. I’m not trying to say that I’m one thing. I’m just trying to be a basketball player.”

As Poe writes, Williams wasn’t the only Bulls youngster who looked more comfortable in the adjusted rotation. Rookie Matas Buzelis was the first player off the bench and logged 20 minutes, his highest mark in over a month. He chipped in nine points and four rebounds and was a +10 during his time on the court. Dalen Terry also had a good night, with 13 points in 13 minutes and a +11 plus/minus rating.

The Bulls are expected to be without a couple key players when their three-game road trip begins on Wednesday in Boston, so Williams may end up being moved back to the starting five out of necessity, Poe writes. But she argues that if the Bulls want to try to boost the forward’s trade value ahead of next Thursday’s deadline, it might make sense to play him more often with the second unit, where he seems more comfortable.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

There’s “optimism” that Coby White, who was been dealing with a bone bruise in his right ankle, will be able to return during Chicago’s three-game road trip, Donovan said on Monday (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network). However, White likely won’t be active vs. Boston on Wednesday. “A few days ago, I think he was having a little bit of pain there, but that’s kind of subsided,” Donovan said, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “He still has some things he has to do in terms of more movement, but [he’s] certainly closer to playing.”
Zach LaVine will be out on Wednesday for personal reasons. According to Cowley, LaVine’s absence is related to the impending birth of his third child.
In a story for The Tribune, Poe checks in on where things stand with several of the Bulls trade candidates, evaluating which players are most likely to be moved and what the team could realistically expect to receive in return. Discussing Nikola Vucevic, Poe contends that it’s realistic to expect a first-round pick in exchange for the veteran big man, who is having his best season since he arrived in Chicago in 2021.
In case you missed it, we passed along several Bulls-related items on Monday, including the fact that the team has no untouchables in trade talks. Additionally, the Bulls and Suns reportedly discussed Bradley Beal, but the Phoenix guard is said to be uninterested in waiving his no-trade clause to go to Chicago.