Zach Lavine fuels Lakers move after showing up with LA hat after loss to Magic
Zach LaVine has fueled talk of a potential move to the Los Angeles Lakers. He attended the Chicago Bulls 94-96 loss to the Orlando Magic wearing a "LA" hat. LaVine has been linked with a move away from the Bulls following their slow start to the season.
Should he become available, the Lakers are seen as a primary contender to acquire LaVine. The Miami Heat are also viewed as a potential suitor for the All-Star guard. However, multiple reports have stated that the Philadelphia 76ers are an unlikely destination following their strong start to the season.
Chicago needs a roster reset. Their current core is disjointed. It was built around Lonzo Ball, who will miss the entire season due to an injury. Ball has struggled for fitness throughout his tenure with the Bulls. The roster is also aging, with very few tradeable assets.
The Bulls' best chance at acquiring assets and rebuilding their squad is via a teardown. We saw the Washington Wizards undergo a similar process this summer. They now have multiple draft picks and young talents to build around. LaVine's status as an All-Star talent will ensure Chicago gets a significant haul in return for one of their best players.
DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Nikola Vucevic are also likely trade candidates for teams around the league.
Multiple teams are sending scouts to Chicago Bulls games
According to Brian Windhorst in a recent episode of ESPN's NBA Today, multiple teams are sending scouts to watch Chicago Bulls games. The belief is that the Eastern Conference team is close to hitting the reset button.
"In talking to some people around the league, the scouts are jamming themselves into Bulls games because they realize that at some point, the Bulls may break this team up," Windhorst said. "And they're all gathering intelligence like, 'What's gonna happen with the Bulls?'"
Any potential reset by the Bulls could shake up the current power structure of the NBA. Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are both All-Star talents. If another contender acquires one of those two stars, it could put them over the top in terms of high-end talent.
Chicago likely won't be focused on the improvements other teams will be making. Instead, their job will be to squeeze as many assets out of each deal as possible. Draft picks and developmental talents are the building blocks for any roster rebuild, and All-Stars usually come at a premium.