Bulls Should Look Beyond Knicks for Zach LaVine Trade Amid Latest NBA Rumors

The NBA offseason may be young, but it’s taken little time for trade rumors to pick up regarding Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine. If those are true, then there’s a decent chance he could be playing for a new team when the 2023-24 season arrives.

There’s likely plenty of teams interested in Lavine. And quite a few franchises appear to be obvious fits.

One of those? The New York Knicks.

However, it doesn’t seem likely LaVine will be playing home games at Madison Square Garden anytime soon. Don’t expect to see the Bulls and Knicks work out a trade for the 28-year-old, according to a recent report by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

Bondy shared that LaVine’s representatives “would be against a deal to the Knicks.”

“The Bulls are reportedly gauging interest in the All-Star guard, which prompted speculation that the Knicks—who are strapped with future draft assets—would get involved,” Bondy wrote. “But a source said the LaVine camp isn’t interested in dealing with the Knicks, who have a reputation around the league of favoring clients of CAA, the agency that employed Leon Rose before his move to the Knicks front office.”

So while New York would be greatly improved with LaVine in its backcourt, it appears to be a scenario that probably won’t unfold. However, that doesn’t mean he’ll be returning to Chicago.

LaVine, who spent his first three NBA seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, has played for the Bulls for the past six seasons. He’s a two-time All-Star, and he’s averaged more than 23 points per game in each of the past five years.

Chicago’s rotation may be weaker in the short term if it dealt LaVine, who averaged 24.8 points in 77 games and shot 48.5 percent from the field during the 2022-23 campaign. But it could be a smart move for the Bulls’ long-term plans.

LaVine has a large contract, as he’s set to make between $40 million and $46 million each of the next three seasons. He also has a player option for the 2026-27 campaign worth $48.97 million, so he’s unlikely to hit free agency again until after that season.

At this point, Chicago doesn’t have enough complementary players around LaVine in order to have success. The Bulls are coming off a 2022-23 season in which they went 40-42, missing the playoffs for the fifth time in six years.

It will be easier for Chicago to construct a postseason-caliber roster without LaVine’s contract handcuffing it. That’s why it makes sense for the Bulls to look to trade him, even if it can’t be to the Knicks because of his camp’s wants.

Now, where should Chicago trade LaVine? That remains to be seen. But surely there are going to be other potential suitors, and one of them will likely give the Bulls an offer they’ll want to accept.