Will the Chicago Bulls are reportedly shopping Zach LaVine, NBA rumors say they want a young player and picks package and won't sell low.
According to Kyle Neubeck, the Chicago Bulls will not be trading Zach LaVine just to get out of his contract this offseason. LaVine still has four more years left on his deal (with the last year a player option), at just over $40 million per season. While he could be able to keep up his play for the next couple of years, LaVine will likely end up being a bad contract when he picks up his player option in 2026-27.
The Bulls are reportedly looking for a young player with upside and multiple picks. Chicago could probably get off his contract this of-season but will not get what they want in a trade return. The trade return will most likely be lower than what the Wizards got from Bradley Beal which isn't enough for a team that doesn't have much upside on its roster.
What does this mean for the future of Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls?
The Chicago Bulls are a team that will be heading toward complete mediocrity. This is a team that might end up being a play-in team even if they are fully healthy. The Bulls are already locking themselves into a dismal future by trying to re-sign Nikola Vucevic on a long-term contract.
The Bulls are out of a first-round pick in 2025. In 2024, the Bulls do have two first-round picks and this means that the team could make a move to improve the roster. Otherwise than that, the Bulls are stuck in this situation.
If the team somehow is able to make the second round of the playoff in the next couple of years, the front office might be able to keep their jobs but this team doesn't have a good chance to win a championship. The most likely option is that the Bulls end up making the playoffs once or twice over the next couple of years, but are unable to be a real contender in the East.
The most likely option is the fact that the Bulls' front office gets fired in a couple of years, and then ends up finally rebuilding when it is too late to prime assets for their players. If Lonzo Ball was healthy, this team might have done something. Still, Ball isn't expected to play this season and Chicago will end up on the treadmill of mediocrity.
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