UCLA Basketball: Bulls, Zach LaVine Reaching Near-Impasse As Trade Chatter Increases

The former two-time All-Star could be headed elsewhere sooner rather than later.

Apr 5, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) sits on the bench in street clothes during the first quarter at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Former one-and-done Pac-12 All-Freshman Team UCLA Bruins shooting guard Zach LaVine, who has made the playoffs just once in his 10 pro seasons, could be on the move from his longtime team, the Chicago Bulls, sooner rather than later, if a new report is to be believed.

Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Chicago team president is still looking for a potential trade partner to whom it could offload both LaVine and his fellow former two-time All-Star, center Nikola Vucevic.

LaVine himself seems to want a deal, as well. It appears that Chicago is hoping to avoid a potential LaVine holdout this fall by convincing him to showcase his health and continued sharpshooting acumen on the floor, which in the head of Bulls brass could make him possibly a more appetizing trade option.

A big impediment in any deal is convincing rival teams to take back LaVine despite the unnecessarily exorbitant $138 million he's set to earn through the 2026-27 season, though the $49 million he'd make in that last year is a player option.

"He's never won, he's done it his way the whole way and never won," a Bulls source told Jamal Collier of ESPN. "If he's interested in winning, he'll do what he's asked of him. And if he's motivated to not be here, one way is to come, be compliant and be who he is."

Chicago general manager Marc Eversley acknowledged that, should LaVine and Vucevic stay in Chicago, the team will still be looking to develop its younger players, perhaps to the detriment of the duo's minutes.

"The difference is we're much younger," Eversley told Collier. "Not that it's not about Zach or [Vucevic] anymore, but we're giving these young guys an opportunity to see how much they can grow."

Last year, Vucevic was only healthy for 25 games (23 starts). He was shut down for good in January. The 6-foot-5 swingman posted competent averages of 19.5 points on a .452/.349/.854 slash line, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 0.8 steals a night for the 39-43 Bulls. Chicago finished with the Eastern Conference's No. 9 seed and failed to make the playoffs for the second straight season.

The Bulls already have moved on from their two most important players, All-Defensive Team guard Alex Caruso and All-Star small forward DeMar DeRozan. In total, Chicago acquired Josh Giddey, Chris Duarte, and a pair of second round draft picks for the two vets. If that's the kind of return the Bulls negotiated from Caruso and DeRozan, one shudders to think how awful the haul will be for LaVine and/or Vucevic.

"We're not so focused on being a top-six seed or being in the play-in," Eversley said. "We're focusing on developing this group every single day and see how much better they can get over the next year."

More UCLA: How Injuries Have Impacted Bruins' Tight End Room