Though they’ve been winning more as of late, the Chicago Bulls are still looking to make changes this season. Recent reports indicated their desire to find a trade for Zach LaVine, noting that it’s been their main focus. LaVine is currently injured, and since he went down, the team has actually performed better.
Those two facts may not be completely related, but the point stands: Chicago is looking to move LaVine. The 28-year-old star has three more years on his current contract, including a player option in the final season worth roughly $48.9 million. The Bulls have been active in trying to deal him.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Bulls have been seeking a haul. They even attempted to trade him to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland.
“The Bulls are still searching for the type of haul that a multi-time All-Star typically draws, which LaVine certainly is based on résumé: an established starter, plus a young player with upside and then first-round draft capital, according to league sources,” Fischer wrote. “Chicago has also attempted swapping LaVine for other All-Star players, such as pitching Cleveland on the concept of acquiring Darius Garland from the Cavaliers, sources said.”
Garland, a 23-year-old one-time All-Star, could help give the Bulls a new-look core moving forward. That said, it seems unlikely the Cavaliers would be interested in such a deal.
In addition, it was recently reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic that Garland will undergo surgery to fix a broken jaw that occurred in the Cavaliers’ December 14 contest against the Boston Celtics. He is slated to miss several weeks of action.
As the Bulls continue to search for a trade for LaVine, their asking price has remained the same: Sky-high.
