NBA Rumors: Zach Lavine is listed as trade piece by Chicago Bulls
Zach LaVine could be on his way out of Chicago after the Bulls posted a disappointing season where they failed to make the playoffs. According to reports, the Chicago Bulls' front office is in the process of gauging interest around the league in the two-time All-Star.
The news comes amid some wild offseason rumors, which have largely centered around Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal. According to Yahoo Sports, however, it's the Chicago Bulls who are quietly putting in work behind the scenes.
Much like he has in years past with the Nikola Vucevic trade and the DeMar DeRozan trade, Bulls general manager Arturas Karnisovas is playing things close to the vest. While there has been no word as to who the Bulls are trying to land this offseason, there are several needs that they need to address.
Should the team wind up trading LaVine, they could recoup some of the assets lost in the Vucevic and DeRozan trades – a total of three first-round picks. But the same could be true if the team decided to trade DeMar DeRozan, another player who holds quite a bit of value.
Considering that the Bulls are privately planning around Lonzo Ball not being able to return, their big concern is the starting point guard position.
While Coby White took tremendous strides last year, the team could continue to bring him off the bench. In that case, a trade for LaVine or DeRozan could yield a quality starting point guard, opening the door to a Coby White Sixth Man of the Year campaign.
Looking at other trades for Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan
Another situation that many are monitoring in regard to the Bulls is the fate of Nikola Vucevic. The team's starting center is in the process of figuring out his next move after the completion of his contract. While it seems as though he and the team will reach a deal, there's speculation that the Bulls could trade for a center.
Whether it's Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan finding their names listed in the trade, only time will tell, however, rumors have DeRozan being sent to Phoenix. According to Sports Illustrated, the Bulls could lean DeRozan's way, sending the six-time All-Star to the Suns in exchange for DeAndre Ayton.
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If a trade like that were to take place, the Bulls would then either start Alex Caruso or Coby White at the point guard position. Another option for the team is to use their assets to trade up in the draft in order to land a player like Scoot Henderson.
While there's still plenty of time before the draft for the Bulls to feel out trades, it sounds as though they're expected to be active this offseason. Whether any of their deals include Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan, only time will tell.