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Report predicts the Chicago Bulls will keep Zach LaVine and make a playoff push rather than become sellers at the trade deadline

Zach LaVine may not be going anywhere.
Nick Raguz|
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Chicago Bulls

Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls have been playing well lately and are within striking distance of an outright spot in the NBA Playoffs. Although it’s no secret that the team’s front office has shopped All-Star guard Zach LaVine for most of the season, there hasn’t been any traction in talks with other teams.

NBA insider Eric Pincus predicts that LaVine may stay in Chicago past the trade deadline on February 8.

Big gamble

LaVine is a talented scorer, capable of getting buckets in different ways. Give him room? He’ll hit it from long range. Press up on him, and he’ll get by his defender on his way to either a layup or a thunderous slam. 

However, the knock on LaVine has been his outstanding individual production doesn’t often lead to team success. This leads many—including Pincus—to ask: “Will another team make a similar leap for LaVine, who is in the second season of a $215.2 million, five-year deal?”

“Thus far, the buzz has been nearly silent. Outside of speculation that the Lakers will eventually make a play (perhaps if they miss out on Murray), most believe LaVine will stick around Chicago through the year or even longer,” Pincus wrote on Bleacher Report.

Stand pat

The Bulls are reportedly having difficulty finding a new home for the former Bruin, leading Pincus to surmise that if Chicago’s front office isn’t enamored with what other teams are placing on the negotiating table, then a potential trade might not materialize at all.

“The best guess is they try to make a playoff/play-in push instead of selling and may even re-sign DeRozan as a free agent this summer (assuming that's what he wants to do, which may not be a given),” Pincus added.

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Nick Raguz
NICK RAGUZ

Nick's journey has been an exciting fusion of basketball and the written word. A former basketball player himself, he possesses an insatiable appetite for all things NBA-related, spanning from the captivating tales of old-school NBA to intriguing statistics and the latest updates from the association.

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