Zach Lavine's name keeps popping up in NBA circles. The league's landscape is currently influx as both Damian Lillard and James Harden are likely to be traded sooner than later. In a recent article from K.C. Johnson, he talked about LaVine and where he could be heading if the Bulls decide to pull the trigger and trade their All-Star player.
"In fact, league sources said that LaVine has landed in preliminary conversations with both the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers, who are working with James Harden and Damian Lillard, respectively, to find them new homes."
Who ends up where?
If a three-team trade does go down, who will end up where? Do the Bulls land Damian Lillard or James Harden? How much draft capital would be given up? These are all questions the GM's are probably working on as we speak. However, if I am Chicago, does any of this make sense? To me it doesn't.
Why are you trying to trade LaVine in the first place and not the aging vet Demar DeRozan? If you are shipping out Zach, I'd rather it be for a package of picks and perhaps Tyler Herro.
Taking on an aging superstar in either Lillard or Harden would only set this franchise back rather than push it over the top. Not to mention the picks it'd likely take to acquire one of those two. The Bulls gave LaVine a five-year, $215 million maximum contract not to long ago. So the fact he is once again in trade talks has to be frustrating for him as a player. But if I had to put money on it, I think the rumors this time around are very real.
A lot has transpired for the Bulls as of late. They were left without a first round pick from the Vuc trade. Lonzo Ball won't be returning anytime soon or maybe at all. So dealing a player like Zach is one way to acquire draft capital and maybe help jump start another rebuild. It's not a fun reality, but barring a miracle, that is likely the best route for the franchise to go.
