Trade Roadblock Emerges In Lakers' Bid For Zach LaVine

Zach LaVine has been sidelined for Chicago's last six games and will not see the floor for at least several more weeks with a foot injury. The Bulls have gone 4-2 in his absence and have seen Coby White blossom in his place, leading many to believe that tomorrow, when LaVine becomes trade-eligible, the phones will be ringing. As made clear by LaVine's agency, his preferred destination is the Los Angeles Lakers alongside LeBron James. There seems to be one glaring issue to dumping their two-time All-Star that could prevent any deals from being executed for several months.

"No Trade Market Exists"

Plain and simple, no one wants Zach LaVine, especially for the price Chicago is selling him. As a two-time All-Star and a six-year running 20-point scorer, LaVine's ability to put the ball in the basket is his only selling point. His contract is infamously lucrative for his lack of playoff success and weak resume of accolades, and his current foot injury further depletes his value. The last month of reported antics between him and everyone inside the Chicago Bulls' building is proving his true colors of character, and his ball-dominant play style without efficient numbers to match makes him a tough sell.

This season has been his worst since first arriving in Chicago in 2017. He's only averaging 21 points and 3.4 assists per game compared to his last four years, where he boasted over 24 points and 4.4 assists per contest. He's also shooting a career-low from three-point range, 33.6% on 7.1 attempts per game. His field goal percentage is his third-lowest across his career, only making 44.3% of his shots overall. LaVine's only skill has severely declined in 2023, bringing the Bulls down the drain with him. Chicago was 5-14 before his injury and rattled off their first win streak of the year without his services, winning four consecutive outings last week.

Potential Trade Packages

This imminent trade would return several role players for Chicago. Sending the $40-million 28-year-old star to the Lakers would mean a similar salary would need to be matched by Los Angeles. D'Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura would be surefire additions to the trade package, their salaries totaling $32 million. Chicago may have to eat some of LaVine's grossly overpriced contract in a potential trade, which would not be able to be executed until January 15th due to Hachimura's eligibility not being released until that date.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis also belong to LaVine's agency, Klutch Sports, further hinting that the two sides may be trying to merge forces. With the Lakers' success in the NBA's inaugural In-Season Tournament, they may be deterred from shaking up the roster before their postseason run. A fully healthy Lakers team took home the first-ever In-Season Championship and may indicate to Los Angeles that they don't need to make any splash moves.

The good news for Chicago is that if a deal is not likely to be done until mid-January, LaVine will suit up again for the Bulls. This is a silver lining for the Windy City because he can only increase his stock before that date. If he's not headed West, the trade deadline in February is constantly flooded with fringe teams looking for outside shooting. LaVine finding his stride and pumping his averages back up to the past five years of normalcy can only help him and Chicago's front office find a trade partner.