Report says the Chicago Bulls should have traded Zach LaVine in the offseason

Analysts and fans alike are debating whether the Chicago Bulls should have traded star player Zach LaVine during this year's free agency period.

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It’s futile to play the “what if” game in the NBA. Everything moves so fast, and the next regular game always lurks around the corner. There’s just no time to be looking back on decisions that a team should have made back in July.

Nevertheless, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report fearlessly delved into this realm and concluded that the Chicago Bulls would have been wise to trade their talented wingman, Zach LaVine, in order to expedite their long-anticipated and desperately needed rebuilding process.

LaVine to the Miami Heat for a package centered on young big man Nikola Jovic

In a trade proposal concocted by Buckley, the Bulls would have sent LaVine to the Miami Heat and received veterans Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin, along with young big man Nikola Jovic and a 2028 first-round pick.

Both Bulls fans and analysts have expressed a strong desire for a complete overhaul of the underachieving roster. Despite their best efforts, the team's "Big 3" comprising LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic are evidently lacking synergy on the court, leading to a disappointing 5-13 start to the season.

“The Bulls, meanwhile, clearly should've been open to a reset this summer. They ostensibly were gearing up to be more competitive, but they've managed to backtrack instead. They've dropped 11 of their first 16 games and sit 23rd in net rating. They may not even snag a play-in invite at this rate,” Buckley wrote.

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— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) November 27, 2023

Could have had solid pieces

At 20 years old, the 6-foot-10 Englishman has already shown flashes of potential. However, in a veteran-laden roster like Miami’s, Jovic has had difficulty breaking into Erik Spoelstra’s rotation, playing in a total of 18 games in two seasons, averaging just 13 minutes per game. With that little court time, Jovic may have a hard time developing into the player he could be.

“Had Chicago signed off on a tear-down sooner, it could've started finding pieces for whatever it plans to build next. With consistent minutes, Jović may have already been on his way to establishing himself as a building block. And given the uncertainty around the Heat's post-Butler plans, the Bulls could've had one of the trade market's more intriguing picks with this lightly protected future first,” Buckley shared.

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