Reports: LA Lakers, New York Knicks among prime contenders for Zach LaVine if he becomes available
Amidst an underwhelming season for the Chicago Bulls, rumors about Zach LaVine's future with the team have emerged. Shams Charania of The Athletic has reported that the two sides are not seeing eye-to-eye. Zach LaVine has been questioning his role with the franchise.
Zach LaVine has privately at times questioned his role with the Chicago Bulls, per @KCJHoop on the Bulls Talk Podcast.
If LaVine becomes available at the trade deadline, there will be plenty of suitors. Michael Scotto of 'HoopsHype' has reported on the teams that are the most likely destinations for the Bulls star.
Scott had this to say on the 'HoopsHype' podcast:
"Rival executives are keeping an eye on several teams who could have interest in trading for him [Zach LaVine]. That includes the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and Miami Heat."
He made the case for each team to acquire LaVine, saying:
"The Knicks have plenty of draft picks they can offer along with salaries to reach LaVine’s salary. ... Miami’s best trade asset to dangle is Tyler Herro in a theoretical trade package."
For the LA Lakers, the natural angle would be to look at LaVine's relationship with the city of Los Angeles. He played college basketball with the UCLA Bruins. He is also represented by Klutch Sports, an agency founded by LeBron James' best friend Rich Paul.
During the podcast, co-host Yossi Gozlan said that the Bulls might not be big sellers come February.
The Bulls came off a season where both Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan were All-Stars. They have failed to ride the momentum into this season. Chicago currently has a 17-21 record, and are barely hanging on to the final spot in the play-in tournament.
Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls snap Nets' win streak, take home impressive win on home court
The Chicago Bulls snapped the Brooklyn Nets' 12-game win streak on Wednesday, defeating the Nets 121-112.
One of the most confusing aspects of the Bulls' season is how they've performed against higher-ranked teams. They have a 7-1 record against the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat. But they are just 5-8 against teams with a sub-.500 record.
The Bulls' defense held Brooklyn to 112 points. The Nets haven't recorded a point total that low since their 112-110 win over the Washington Wizards on December 10. The defense really propelled Chicago to hold their own against one of the most potent and versatile offenses in the league.
DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams scored 22 apiece in the win. Nikola Vucevic and Ayo Dosunmu added 21 and 17 points respectively. Dosunmu was also arguably the best defender for the Bulls.