If the Chicago Bulls want to effectively plan for the future, then rebuilding the roster could be what’s best. However, Arturas Karnisovas stated at the end of this past season that the team has no plans of blowing things up, meaning they would like to run it back with the same core.
However, that doesn’t mean they haven’t explored potential rebuilding options. Reports surfaced that they gauged interest around the league for Zach LaVine trades. And more recently, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports revealed that the Bulls have engaged in trade talks surrounding LaVine with several teams around the league.
With the new CBA being ushered in, the Bulls could prefer to get off of LaVine’s massive contract.
“The bigger questions in Chicago come down to the Bulls’ perceived Big Three of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and free agent Nikola Vučević,” Fischer wrote. “The Bulls have engaged several teams on LaVine trade opportunities, sources said, as the All-Star guard enters the second season of a five-year, $215 million contract.”
He also pointed out that the Bulls want a larger return for LaVine than what the market value might be for him.
Fischer noted that if they were to trade LaVine, the Bulls would want a better return than what the Washington Wizards received in the Bradley Beal deal.
“Chicago, however, is said to hold LaVine’s trade value far above the return that Washington netted for Bradley Beal earlier this month, and it’s difficult to find a trade partner for the Bulls that is willing to sacrifice blue-chip players and first-round draft capital for the 28-year-old and his lucrative contract in the league’s new economic landscape,” Fischer wrote.
It seems as though the Bulls are content running it back with LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic, but there’s always a chance they could choose to pivot and trade their franchise star.
