The Chicago Bulls could look to be sellers with this Thursday’s trade deadline coming up fast and the Bulls having two of the better trade assets in the league in Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic.
Both are having tremendous seasons from an offensive perspective with LaVine leading the Bulls in scoring (24.0) and Vucevic leading in rebounds (10.4).
Trading away one or the other or even both would net the Bulls back a decent haul of players and picks that could hopefully help them things around next season.
Zach LaVine was involved in another trade proposal
In his recent column, Bleacher Reports Zach Buckley published trade proposals for each team in the NBA and he listed LaVine as being a possible target of the Milwaukee Bucks in a blockbuster trade.
“Milwaukee Bucks receive: Zach LaVine.
Chicago Bulls receive: Khris Middleton, and Bobby Portis, a 2031 first-round pick and a 2031 second-round pick.
This trade doesn’t technically work at the moment, since the Bucks are unable to aggregate salaries as a second-apron team. If they could first find a taker for Pat Connaughton, though, they might have traction on a trade.
Milwaukee appears eager to shake things up. The Bucks are “as determined as any team on the NBA map” to make a deadline deal, per NBA insider Marc Stein, and they have an interest in LaVine, per Chicago Sports Network’s K.C. Johnson.
A LaVine-Damian Lillard backcourt would have major concerns defensively, but the offensive upside for a LaVine-Lillard-Giannis Antetokounmpo trio might be great enough to overlook them.
A bona fide third scorer might take this team over the top, and LaVine fits the bill while averaging an even 24 points per night on 51.1/44.6/79.7 shooting.”
Would the Bulls consider doing this deal?
For the Bulls, this would be an immediate no and a hanging up of the phone. Recent reports have indicated the Bulls thinking of going into a full-scale rebuild and making a trade such as this would not be close to that. Middleton, who is 34 years old has struggled to stay on the court only playing in 284 of a possible 410 games in the past five seasons. This season alone Middleton has only appeared in 22 of the Bucks 46 games this season after missing the start of the season after having ankle surgery in the offseason.
Portis would be the centerpiece of the deal with the picks being worthless given 2031 is six years away. The Bulls could use another physical big who is capable of taking down rebounds but also capable of protecting the rim. Portis on the season currently is averaging 0.5 blocks a game. Portis is a decent scorer with having field goal percentage of 46.6% and is averaging 13.4 points in 24.7 minutes this season. Even though Portis and Middleton are unrestricted free agents after this season Portis has the more desirable contract to take on with being owed $13,445,754 to Middleton’s $34,012,345.
We shall know soon what the Bulls will do
The trade deadline is fast approaching, and the Bulls are more than likely going to be sellers when it comes down to it. LaVine has expressed his desire to remain with the Bulls, but basketball like all other sports is a business at the end of the day.
If the Bulls are in fact entering a rebuild, they will need as much draft capital as possibly to make sure it’s not a lengthy one. LaVine would fetch the Bulls the biggest haul in that department it’s just a matter of can the Bulls find a suitor to take on LaVine’s contract.
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