NBA Trade Rumors: Bulls SG Zach LaVine to Magic?

The Orlando Magic continue to be linked to Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine.

Jeremy Brener | May 12, 2024

Nov 17, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris (14) defends Chicago Bulls / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

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ORLANDO — The Orlando Magic are rampant in trade rumors just one week after their playoff run ended at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Among the players linked to the Magic is Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine.

"The Magic has a cart load of cap space and could absorb a lot of Zach’s contract, which I assume would be the Bulls dream scenario assuming moving Zach is the offseason priority, which is the common wisdom in most media reports," Bulls insider Sam Smith said. "The issue the Bulls face, obviously, is it’s a risk at least for now for a team to take on three years of LaVine’s contract without having seen him play coming off surgery. I think Zach with his shooting and athletic style would fit with them and greatly elevate a team like Orlando, and I think they’d still have a chance to add that veteran point guard to run things a bit, a Mike Conley-lite type. But with finally making the playoffs, they’ve been deliberate and don’t face much pressure to improve dramatically next season and probably will try to wait for Anthony Black and add like you speculate around the edges of Banchero and Wagner."

The Magic have moves to make and would love to get someone with more firepower and creation abilities on offense, but LaVine may not work as well as he would on paper.

LaVine is about to enter his age-30 season and is coming off a year in which he only played 25 games due to injury. He's also signed on for over $138 million for the next three seasons, which is a lot of money to pay someone who just played a quarter of a season.

LaVine also doesn't have the defensive game to match the Magic's identity. While the current defensive scheme could help hide LaVine's shortcomings on that side of the ball, the overall fit is a question mark.

Related stories on the Orlando Magic:

INGLES' IMPACT: Veteran guard Joe Ingles made an impact in his first season with the Orlando Magic and has a team option for next season. CLICK HERE

WELTMAN WILDLY IMPRESSED WITH PAOLO: Paolo Banchero’s growth in his second season helped guide the Orlando Magic to their best season since 2011 and first playoff appearance since 2020. CLICK HERE

MAGIC TRADE FOR DEJOUNTE MURRAY? The Orlando Magic could look to trade for Atlanta Hawks All-Star Dejounte Murray. CLICK HERE

Published May 12, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.