The Chicago Bulls are in a tough spot as a franchise. Many fans are hoping the team hits the reset button, but Arturas Karnisovas seems determined to run things back with the same core, which could end up leading to the same middling results that saw the Bulls eliminated in the Play-In Tournament this past season.
But even if Karnisovas doesn’t want to rebuild the roster, Chicago should at least consider making major changes. One of those potential changes could be to trade Zach LaVine, especially if the Bulls don’t want to have his contract on the books when they inevitably rebuild.
One deal suggested by Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report would see Chicago flip LaVine to the Miami Heat.
Mock trade sees Bulls flip Zach LaVine to Heat for 3 players: The trade
Here’s the full outline of the trade Buckley proposed:
Bulls receive: Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Nikola Jovic
Heat receive: Zach LaVine, Dalen Terry
Mock trade sees Bulls flip Zach LaVine to Heat for 3 players: Buckley's reasoning for Bulls
This is why Buckley believes the trade would work out for the Bulls:
“Meanwhile, Chicago could be wary of plateauing as a play-in team and see this trade as a way of raising its ceiling,” Buckley wrote. “This trade package is somewhat future-focused, but not in a way that would waste the remaining prime years of DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević.
Herro is close to matching LaVine’s production already. Robinson would scratch a huge itching for spacing. Jović rarely saw the floor as a rookie, but if he gets a chance, he could be an interesting change-of-pace reserve for his combination of size (6’10”), scoring versatility and playmaking.”
Mock trade sees Bulls flip Zach LaVine to Heat for 3 players: Should Bulls make this trade?
LaVine is a fine player, but flipping him for Tyler Herro would make the Bulls younger without changing the ceiling of their current group too drastically.
Herro is quickly becoming an underrated young player, Duncan Robinson’s shooting touch is coming back around, and Nikola Jovic is a nice young project, too.
Chicago should make this deal should it be presented to them.
