Suns Rivals Could Trade for Zach LaVine

The Phoenix Suns could see Zach LaVine traded to their division.

PHOENIX -- Things are officially falling apart for the Chicago Bulls, and that's not a great sign for the Phoenix Suns. 

The Athletic's Shams Charania dropped yet another big scoop within the last hour, stating that teams are closely monitoring the situation the Chicago Bulls are in with the hope that star guard Zach LaVine becomes available for trade in short order.

Charania added in more tidbits of information into the report, going into detail about the potential timeframe in which a trade may be explored, while also implying the potential for a trade could be a mutual decision.

Here are some pieces of information Charania added into the report:

• "Many of the NBA’s 30 general managers are in Chicago on Tuesday for the annual Champions Classic, the major opening night of the college basketball season, and this is where conversations could begin."
• "LaVine, 28, is in his seventh season in Chicago. He’s averaging 21.9 points, 3.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds while starting all 11 games this season."
• "The 6-foot-5 guard is in the second season of a five-year, $215 million maximum contract."
• "Chicago fell to 4-7 after a 118-109 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday and will host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday."

It certainly appears as if Chicago's mismanagement of the last three seasons is finally catching up to them, and it can certainly be wondered if the team can even get market value in return in a LaVine trade. 

LaVine is on pace to have his worst season since at least 2019, and is currently locked into a 200+ million contract as Charania previously mentioned.

Charania went into even more detail about the tenuous situation in Chicago, going on to report some more background info:

• "After Chicago’s 124-104 season-opening loss to Oklahoma City, players, led by veteran Nikola Vučević, expressed frustration with the Bulls’ offense, which they felt was similar to last season’s after being under the impression things would be different, league sources said."

• "Off the court, league sources said Chicago, which is largely running things back with its core from last season, would like to bring back DeMar DeRozan, who is on an expiring deal. But his future in Chicago is uncertain as well. The Bulls and DeRozan have discussed an extension, but the sides remain apart on years and salary, and the 34-year-old DeRozan wants to see where the team goes before committing to a return."

This is a situation that Suns fans should keep track of, as DeRozan and LaVine have both been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers in recent seasons, and any number of fellow potential contenders could look to add another star to boost their firepower, much like the Suns did with Bradley Beal in the offseason.

While the Suns appear to have more talent than the Lakers, the Lakers appear to possibly have the Suns' number this season, winning their first two matchups. 

While the Lakers have beaten the Suns twice, they very well could be in the market for a roster upgrade themselves- Austin Reaves doesn't appear to be a third star waiting in the wings.

It's been a hefty few months for the Pacific division, as top names such as Chris Paul and James Harden have been added via trade to an already star-studded standings list. 

Now, one more big name could enter the arena out west. 

If the Lakers could build a package around D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and future picks without compromising too much of the depth or giving up Reaves. Perhaps adding LaVine to the roster will help Reaves ease into a more comfortable role in the quest to compete with the Suns and the rest of the Western Conference in the long run.