The Chicago Bulls are reportedly considering a move to trade Zach LaVine, per The Athletic. But the return for his services may not be high.
Although we can likely expect that the Bulls will have a very different roster by the trade deadline in February, they have players with varying degrees of value.
For example, while every contending team should try to make an offer for Chicago’s Alex Caruso, front offices may not have the same interest in trying to land LaVine.
HoopsHype’s Yossi Gozlan outlined five teams that could potentially inquire about acquiring the two-time All-Star. But considering the asking price from Chicago is reportedly considered “high” in exchange for LaVine, we found a few reasons why teams may want to stay away.
1
LaVine does not have a great track record of his game translating to winning
LaVine has put up solid numbers, earning multiple All-Star appearances since getting traded to the Bulls. However, the impressive stats have not always led to winning basketball.
Dating back to his rookie season in 2014-15, per PBPStats, no player has a worse point differential than Zach LaVine. Opponents have outscored his teams by 1,724 points when he is on the court, which is by far the worst in the league during that span.
Chicago has a negative net rating with LaVine on the court this season (-6.98) and a positive net rating (4.38) when he is not on the court, via PBPStats. This remains a consistent trend for the Bulls since 2019-20.
2
LaVine is a high-usage player who needs the ball in his hands to make an impact
LaVine has had a usage rate that has ranked in the 90th percentile or higher during each campaign he has played since he began playing for the Bulls, per Cleaning the Glass.
Wherever he is traded will have to afford him a large offensive load and plenty of touches within their scheme, which means fewer opportunities for the players currently on the roster.
Young teams like the Pistons and the Magic should give those looks to their recent draft picks. Contenders like the 76ers or Lakers already have plenty of mouths to feed as it is.
LaVine played well when he was moved into a spot-up role for Team USA, but is he willing to do that in the NBA?
Typically, he isn’t an off-ball player who is making a tremendous impact as a movement shooter. He is someone who is running around a dozen or so pick-and-roll possessions per game while adding some isolation offense as well.
3
He doesn't have the best history when the game matters most
If you’re trading for LaVine, you’re going to want someone who has the ability to make game-changing plays.
Unfortunately, however, this is an area where he has struggled. He currently ranks fifth-worst in Clutch Win Probability Added, per Inpredictable.
LaVine is shooting just 3-of-10 (30.0 percent) in “clutch” minutes in 2023-24. It’s an ugly trend that isn’t coming out of nowhere. Last season, he shot 6-of-33 (18.2 percent) from beyond the arc in the clutch.
4
LaVine isn't exactly celebrated for his defensive abilities
When he is playing his best basketball, LaVine is clearly one of the most electrifying scorers in the league. But he still leaves plenty to be desired on the defensive end of the floor.
Although it is hard to quantify defensive impact, most metrics don’t grade him particularly well. He has only once ranked above league average in the catch-all metric Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus, per dunksandthrees.com.
5
He is on an expensive contract and has an injury history
Assuming he opts into the final year of his deal, including this season, LaVine is still owed $178 million over the course of the next four years.
That figure projects at somewhere around 30.0 percent of the salary cap, which isn’t horrible, but it is a lot to promise to a player who has had an early history of knee issues and surgeries during his career.
