Chicago Bulls Receive Concerning Report About Zach LaVine Trade
It has been reported for months that the Chicago Bulls are expected to pursue a Zach LaVine trade this summer. While LaVine is a solid player, his contract has always projected to be very difficult to move, and perhaps even more difficult than Chicago expected.
In a recent appearance on SiriusXm NBA Radio, ESPN's Bobby Marks said, "Chicago has been trying to move Zach LaVine forever. They can't find any takers just to get off his contract. I don’t even think if they attached a first round pick teams would take him. So that impacts DeMar DeRozan, because you can't sign DeRozan. Because you can't sign DeRozan and keep LaVine, now you go into the luxury tax."
“I don’t even think if they attached a first round pick teams would take [Zach LaVine].”
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) June 29, 2024
ESPN’s @BobbyMarks42 tells @BGeltzNBA and @SamMitchellNBA how the new second apron rules in the CBA are handcuffing teams like the Chicago Bulls. pic.twitter.com/lDCPxuB4l8
LaVine is on a five-year, $215M contract that expires after the 2026-27 season. With a $48.9M player option in the final year of his deal, LaVine is almost certain to exercise that when the time comes, meaning any team trading for him would have him under contract for three more seasons. According to Marks, this has kept teams away from any LaVine trades, as even a first round pick attached to his contract may not be enough incentive to deal for him.
This puts the Bulls in a very tough spot, because as Marks mentioned, their inability to trade LaVine impacts the rest of their offseason.
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JOEY LINN
Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.