The Chicago Bulls have some big-time decisions to make this summer. However, Arturas Karnisovas has already indicated what his plan is. While a rebuild could help the team move forward into the future, he seems intent on staying competitive in spite of the Bulls’ struggles.
While a complete teardown may not be in the team’s near future, huge changes are needed. Maybe there could be a middle ground. Instead of going all in on the current Big Three of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic, the Bulls could look to trade one of them in favor of landing younger talent with whom they could still be competitive.
During a recent stream for Bleacher Report, NBA YouTuber Sixringsofsteel suggested a trade that would ship LaVine to the New York Knicks.
Bulls-Knicks Zach LaVine trade: The trade
Here’s the full outline of the suggested trade:
Bulls receive: RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Derrick Rose, 2024 first-round pick
Knicks receive: Zach LaVine
Bulls-Knicks Zach LaVine trade: Why Knicks could be interested
For the Knicks, this summer will be all about improving on their success this past season. They made the playoffs as the fifth seed and managed to knock off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.
Jalen Brunson has proven to be a star, and if they can pair another All-Star with him and Julius Randle, they could be in business.
LaVine could be a solid fit for them, as his scoring punch would help take a ton of offensive pressure off Brunson.
Bulls-Knicks Zach LaVine trade: Why Bulls could be interested
Chicago would not only get younger in this deal, but they would stay relatively competitive, too. DeRozan would still be on the team, and Barrett just wrapped up a 20-point-per-game season.
His three-point shooting and defensive game make him a valuable asset. Plus, if he were to be given more freedom to work in Chicago, he could thrive. Sometimes players perform better on a new team other than the one that drafted them. Just ask Lauri Markkanen.
Obi Toppin would be a solid pick-up, too, as the young forward would give the Bulls depth and a nice developmental project to work with.
Add in the fact that Chicago would add some much-needed draft capital, and this trade could be a huge success for the Bulls.
