Bulls Struggling to Find Zach LaVine Trade Partner, per Report

Chicago is trying and failing to give the former All-Star away.

Dec 18, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine before a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

No matter how hard they try, the Chicago Bulls can't give Zach LaVine away.

According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, the Bulls have not been able to find a trade partner willing to take LaVine off their hands. Chicago is even willing to attach a first round pick to move the former All-Star, but there have been no takers for his contract.

Marks was blunt in his assessment, "There is no market for Zach LaVine. They are trying to give him away and attach a first round pick. I've been told that by multiple, multiple people."

That's a damning assessment of LaVine's value as he's set to enter the third season of a five-year, $215.2 million deal. He's due to make $43 million during the 2024-25 season, $46 million in 2025-26, then has a $49 million player option for the 2026-27 campaign. He's almost guaranteed to exercise that option, so he'll be owed $138 million over the next three seasons.

LaVine is coming off his worst season since 2018 and only played 24 games while dealing with a foot injury that eventually led to season-ending surgery. The 29-year-old averaged 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 34.9 minutes per game. He shot 45.2% from the field and 34.9% from three-point range. That was his lowest mark from beyond the arc since the 2017-18 season.

It's clear LaVine's value is dropping like a rock and NBA teams don't want to take on all that salary, even if Chicago adding assets to the deal.

It increasingly looks as if the Bulls will either have to swap LaVine for another terrible contract, or keep him around. Either way, things will be tight financially in Chicago. The franchise already had to unload Alex Caruso, sending him to the Oklahoma City Thunder exchange for Josh Giddey, and just agreed to a five-year, $90 million extension with Patrick Williams. Those move likely mean veteran DeMar DeRozan is going to walk in free agency.

If the Bulls can't find a taker for LaVine their balance sheet could get ugly.