Sixers Reportedly Expressed Interest in Bulls’ Zach LaVine

The Chicago Bulls are still trying to figure it out. After stacking up the roster with several notable pieces to surround their franchise star Zach LaVine, the Bulls peaked with a playoff appearance that didn’t result in a trip beyond the first round.

Chicago followed up that act with a loss in the NBA Play-In Tournament this past season after they fell short against the Miami Heat in the single-game elimination battle. Last month, Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported that the Bulls started contacting teams to gauge the league’s interest in potentially trading for LaVine.

The Sixers, who have been linked to LaVine before, were a team to keep in mind if the Bulls were ready to get something done. For the next few weeks, everything went quiet in Chicago on the LaVine front.

As for the 76ers, they have some moves they have to make. After striking out on grabbing a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and coming up empty-handed on the first day of free agency, the Sixers finally added a few prospects by signing Patrick Beverley, Mo Bamba, and Montrezl Harrell.

Next, the Sixers have to address the elephant in the room and look for deals to satisfy the disgruntled ten-time All-Star guard, James Harden, who requested a trade last week. Perhaps, that’s where the Bulls could come into play.

According to a report from NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson, the Sixers, and the Bulls held “preliminary conversations” with the Sixers regarding LaVine. Johnson added that the Portland Trail Blazers were involved in a separate conversation as well.

At the moment, those talks haven’t gained too much traction, but a lot can change quickly when it comes to the NBA trade market.

So far, the Sixers haven’t rushed to move Harden, and rightfully so. Although the Los Angeles Clippers expressed interest, they aren’t willing to make a package available that’s worth Daryl Morey and the Sixers’ time at this moment.

If the Bulls are seriously open to moving LaVine, the Sixers absolutely should explore a potential deal for him. Since his second season in Chicago, LaVine has averaged 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists while knocking down 39 percent of his threes. He’s established himself as one of the NBA’s better all-around offensive threats, as he’s a three-level scorer who can play multiple positions.

It’s unclear if Chicago would be intrigued with a potential James Harden package. Considering the Bulls don’t expect to have their point guard Lonzo Ball on the court for the second-straight season, the league’s reigning assist leader could be a nice substitute to pair alongside DeMar DeRozan.

But then again, teams like Chicago might be hesitant to take on Harden due to his contract situation. With Harden picking up his option for the 2023-2024 season, he’s currently not extension eligible. Therefore, acquiring Harden could be a one-year rental. And considering he’s looking to change teams for the third time since 2020, any team would struggle to feel confident in him returning via free agency.

The Bulls don’t seem super motivated to move on from LaVine at this time. Therefore, the Sixers are likely far away from landing the star, even if they’ve been showing interest this summer.