According to an insider, Zach LaVine is still on the market, but the Bulls are unwilling to embark on a rebuild

LaVine remains available in the market.

© David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Despite the majority's requests to begin a full-scale teardown until it is too late, the Chicago Bulls will remain dedicated to themselves and their goals to continue battling in the 2023-24 season.

And, despite what appears to be a smooth reintegration with Zach LaVine, who recently returned to the team after more than a month out due to foot ailments, the franchise remains committed to making the All-Star available on the market.

The Bulls still open to trading LaVine

In his recently published piece, veteran league insider Marc Stein reported that the Bulls are continuing to make LaVine present in the trade marketplace. But amid this intent to ship the All-Star, the franchise does not entertain the idea of rebuilding by shipping their other veterans.

Stein further argued that for the Bulls to fulfill their plans, they are open to making Lonzo Ball's contract a salary-matching piece for any trade frameworks that could appear.

“The Bulls continue to make former All-Star swingman Zach LaVine available on the trade market but are not, league sources say, looking to ship out multiple veterans and enter into a full-fledged rebuild. Potentially supporting such notions are the recent whispers that the Bulls have not completely ruled out using Lonzo Ball’s insurance-covered contract in a trade to add talent.”

Just a matter of time before the Bulls make a move

While the Bulls continue to shoot down any scenarios of a LaVine trade, they might still consider it in the long run once the All-Star's market becomes robust with the trade deadline still a month away. So far, Zach remains limited in his first two games off to his recovery, but he is trending upward to regain the exposure that he used to seize in his pre-injured condition.

Zach dippin into his bag.@NBCSChicago | @ZachLaVine pic.twitter.com/OfpT1tTvB0

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 6, 2024

The Bulls are eager to match any deal suggestions using Lonzo's contract. In retrospect, no team would want to sign Ball for the $42 million remaining on his deal because of the uncertainty of his play after three knee operations and missing nearly two years of competitive basketball. However, Lonzo's deal can only be important for salary-matching purposes.

For the time being, everyone is waiting and seeing because the Bulls are still studying LaVine's comeback before deciding whether or not to make a move.

Billy Donovan praises Zach LaVine for wanting to fit into what the Chicago Bulls have going right now