Should Brooklyn Nets Pursue Chicago Bulls Star Forward?

Could Zach LaVine be a viable trade option for the Nets to pursue this offseason?

Nov 26, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges (1) defends Chicago Bulls / John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

The Brooklyn Nets' 2023-24 NBA season ended early as they posted a 32-50 record en route to the No. 11 seed in the Eastern Conference. Changes have since been made, bringing in head coach Jordi Fernandez to lead the Nets through a new era.

Still, the Nets don't have many options when it comes to team building. With the Houston Rockets in control of the Nets' future picks -- which stems from a former blockbuster trade that landed James Harden in Brooklyn -- the team can't simply deconstruct their roster and play for a high draft pick to land young talents.

Because of this, staying competent in a weak Eastern Conference and seeking more postseason appearances, could be the best option for the Nets in the short term. To ensure this team is a playoff team while their draft picks come back to fruition in the future.

While making a blockbuster trade doesn't make the Nets a contender, it gets them one step closer given their current restrictions.

Cam Thomas, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Nic Claxton are an incredible supporting cast, lacking nothing but a star. They could pursue that in a situation that could benefit two sides.

The Chicago Bulls are arguably in a worse position than the Nets. They've got to trade their current core and move on, which could leave Zach LaVine available for trade this offseason. Adding LaVine to the supporting cast mentioned could be worth it for both sides.

In this scenario, the Nets would have to attach Ben Simmons -- who wasted yet another season struggling to be available -- and his contract, which is expiring, to make salaries work. They would also have to attach draft capital, none of which they control, to incentivize the Bulls to do the trade.

In turn, the Nets and Fernandez would get a star to add to their strong core with depth to make a semi-competitive playoff team with more direction while they wait for their own draft picks to replenish.

It could make sense, but it's hard to imagine the Nets depleting more assets to try and get competitive with the knowledge there is a cap as to how big of contenders the team can become.