According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, there has been an “increased openness” from the Chicago Bulls and Zach LaVine to explore potential trades, and NBA teams around the league are monitoring the situation closely. LaVine inked a five-year, $215 million contract extension with the Bulls in the 2022 offseason.
Chicago is just 4-7 on the season, and LaVine has been having a rough year. He’s averaging 21.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 40.9% from the field and 30.9% from beyond the arc. However, if the right team made a move for him, he could make a real impact on their success level this season.
With all that in mind, here are five teams that should consider trading for LaVine.
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic have exceeded expectations to start the year. They have plenty of salaries that could be used to trade for LaVine, and with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, among others, already in place, they could benefit from adding a scoring guard.
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks are a solid team, but adding another score-first option to take some pressure off Jalen Brunson in the postseason would be ideal. Plus, with Evan Fournier’s contract, they could match LaVine’s deal in a trade with relative ease.
Philadelphia 76ers
Following the James Harden trade, the Philadelphia 76ers have plenty of guys who could be thrown in a trade to match salaries. While the defensive limitations of a Tyrese Maxey-LaVine backcourt are rough, it’s at least an idea to consider for the 76ers.
Miami Heat
After failing to trade for Damian Lillard, Zach LaVine could be a nice consolation prize for the Miami Heat. Like the idea of Maxey and LaVine, a Tyler Herro and LaVine defensive front isn’t ideal, but the Heat definitely have the infrastructure to make up for it.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers’ offense has been underwhelming this year, but trading for LaVine could help that. If they want to maximize LeBron James’ time on the team, a trade for an offensive shot creator could be a way to do that.
