Chicago Bulls unlikely to trade Zach LaVine until the trade deadline

The Bulls will be better off waiting for the right deal to come.

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The Chicago Bulls are in dire straits, and the prospects of their season getting better don’t look too rosy either. While reports have popped up regarding the front office’s increased openness to moving All-Star guard Zach LaVine, a recent report from The Athletic’s Bulls insider Darnell Mayberry has detailed that a trade may not happen until at least the middle of December.

The realistic target is the trade deadline

Change may be on the horizon for the Bulls, but striking a deal involving LaVine may take some time. After all, the former UCLA star is owed a whopping $138 million over the next three seasons, making it tricky to make a transaction happen. Mayberry added that the team’s executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has previously exhibited incredible patience when making deals.

“Most don't expect the Bulls to make a trade until at least mid-December after contracts that were signed this summer can be traded,” Mayberry wrote.

“A more realistic target is the Feb. 9 trade deadline. It often takes additional time to construct a trade for high-contract players, and Karnisovas has demonstrated numerous times that he's patient in making a deal.”

LaVine’s value isn’t at its best right now

In addition, the Bulls may be better off biding their time instead of making a knee-jerk reaction to trade away Zach. Bleacher Report’s Joseph Zucker notes that LaVine's value isn't at its best right now due to his inconsistency, and the team may be better off waiting until he has more consistent performances before moving him.

“Chicago is incentivized to wait when it comes to moving LaVine, though, because his trade market isn't exactly robust right now,” Zucker wrote.

LaVine is averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game this season.

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