Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine is apparently off the trading block in Chicago after months of speculation as to whether he would be shipped out in what appears to be a franchise in rebuilding mode. Executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas spoke to reporters Sunday about the vision for the franchise’s future — which will include LaVine.
“We hope Zach is fully healthy. And he is healthy. I think he can help this group next year. He has been professional,” said Karnišovas. “Once again, he is healthy. We hope he will be with us at the start of training camp.”
However, Bulls management has made it clear that just because LaVine or anyone else on the roster isn’t in trade talks right now doesn’t mean they are a long-term solution for the team.
“I don’t think there’s a perfect way to do things in terms of sequence,” Karnišovas said of cast construction. “We prefer certain things to happen first. I think that sequentially it is very difficult to predict what the market will be like. That’s why I’m saying I don’t know what’s going to happen. After the season, I said everything was on the table. We will not make agreements that do not make us better. We will be patient with this. But I think we’re far from a finished product now.”
LaVine, coming off a season in which he played just 25 games due to a foot injury that required surgery, has been in trade talks since last offseason. It’s not necessarily due to the cast’s lack of production. Since joining the Bulls in 2017, LaVine has averaged 24.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists, and has made two All-Star teams.
The trade talk and general discourse surrounding LaVine as a whole stems from the fact that while he can put up numbers as a scorer, that typically doesn’t translate into wins for his teams. From 2017 to 2024, Chicago has reached the postseason just once in 2022. The Bulls lost that series in five games to the Milwaukee Bucks and LaVine was that team’s third-best player behind current Sacramento King DeMar Derozan and Nikola Vucevic.
Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer noted that despite shopping LaVine on the trade market, there hasn’t been much interest around the league.
The Bulls have tried to find a new home for LaVine since last offseason, according to league sources, but have yet to develop significant leverage in deals outside of negotiations with Detroit, which once included Bojan Bogdanović — who has since been traded to Nova York – and the Pistons are now under new leadership with president Trajan Langdon
His overall trade value has gotten so low that trading him in most scenarios would require Chicago to attach a first-round pick in addition to LaVine, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN. Typically, trade stars would bring back draft picks in exchange, not send them away with the star.
After an offseason in which the Bulls made many moves, including signing Matas Buzelis with the 11th overall pick in June and re-signing forward Patrick Williams to a five-year, $90 million contract, it appears Chicago is opting to develop your younger players.
The Bulls’ youth movement also brought in guard Josh Giddey via trade with the Thunder, sending Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City.
While LaVine is certainly not “old” at 29 years old, he still brings experience to the Chicago team. For now, LaVine will return as a veteran presence and likely leading scorer. But don’t be surprised if his name comes up again in trade talks if the team gets off to a slow start next season.
