Report predicts Zach LaVine will get traded during upcoming season

As the Chicago Bulls' highest-paid and most skilled offensive player, athletic wingman Zach LaVine has not been immune to criticism given the team's struggles over the last few seasons. Despite having DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic as teammates over the last two seasons, things have just not clicked for the Bulls.

While the team made some peripheral changes this offseason, such as the acquisitions of Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig, pundits remain skeptical that the Bulls will see significant improvements in their results for the 2023-2024 season. With such a scenario in mind, an analyst predicts that LaVine will be on his way out of Chi-Town.

Not cohesive

It's fair to say that the absence of Lonzo Ball has played a huge part in the Bulls' struggles over the last season and a half. However, the lack of cohesion between the team's "Big 3" is also a major contributing factor.

"Over the two seasons since DeMar DeRozan was acquired, Chicago is a thoroughly uninspiring minus-1.7 points per 100 possessions when he, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic are all on the floor. The Bulls are an even worse minus-2.6 when those three play without Lonzo," Andy Bailey deduced. "With no meaningful shake-up from this offseason and several teams in the East likely to improve, it's hard to imagine that trend reversing."

Think about breaking up the core

If the Bulls' upcoming season plays out as many experts believe it could, the Bulls must consider shifting course and breaking up their core. It's a hard decision to make, but it may be the only way for Chicago to improve their roster and gain meaningful ground in the Eastern Conference standings.

"So, if Chicago remains in that bad-to-mediocre range a couple months into 2023-24, it'll have to start thinking about breaking up that core. In that circumstance, LaVine will almost certainly have the highest trade value," Bailey added.

"At 28 years old, he figures to have a few prime seasons left. He's under contract through 2026-27 (when he has a $49 million player option) for a salary that will look pretty reasonable as the cap continues to rise. And he could be a dynamic second or third option for a team in the hunt for a title."