"Has been to 1 playoff series in 9 years": Ex-Knicks GM doesn't hold back on harsh truth about Zach LaVine's trade value
There are rumors of Zach LaVine's unhappiness with the Chicago Bulls, and that could lead to a potential trade this season. The Bulls are struggling to start the campaign, so it might be best to start a rebuild.
With LaVine as the first star to likely get traded, a former New York Knicks executive spilled the beans on the Bulls guard's trade value. On the "Hoop Genius" podcast, ex-Knicks general manager Scott Perry had some strong words about LaVine's value.
Perry pointed out LaVine and his lack of playoff success. He also brought up his superstar-level salary, which would be a big issue for a team trying to acquire him:
"He has proven that he can score the basketball," Perry said. "Next thing I look at is does he impact winning? Zach LaVine has been to one playoff series in nine years. He's played a total of four playoff basketball games.
"So now I say to myself, 'I'm looking at paying $40 this year, $43, $46 and $49 million in subsequent years for a guy who up to this point has not impacted winning to the level that his money says he should impact."
Zach LaVine was under fire recently for ignoring a Chicago Bulls PR employee for a postgame interview. The Bulls announced that they had handled the issue internally, while LaVine explained that it was just a miscommunication.
LaVine's unhappiness possibly stems from being in trade rumors since the offseason. Several teams have already been linked to the Bulls star like the LA Lakers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors.
The New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors have also been rumored to be interested in LaVine, who's averaging 21.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists this season. If the Bulls are going to trade LaVine, they are likely trading DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic and Alex Caruso as well.
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LA Lakers not focused on Zach LaVine trade
Zach LaVine has been linked to the LA Lakers for more than a year now, but it seems like there will be more rumors about them this season. However, that's not the case according to NBA Insider Marc Stein.
Stein reported in his latest Substack piece that the Lakers are more focused on having a healthy team rather than acquiring LaVine. Jarred Vanderbilt has yet to play for the Lakers this season, while Gabe Vincent played the first few games before going down with a knee injury.
The Lakers are being carried by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but they will have to find a way to lighten the workload for their two superstars. James is in Year 21 and will turn 39 next month, while Davis has a reputation of being injury-prone.
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