League Sources Believe LaVine & Bulls to Split, Jazz Should Make Move
Rumors continue to swirl around the direction the Chicago Bulls' plan to take during this offseason. After their season resulted in a 40-42 record with an eventual play-in loss, this team’s current core may have hit its ceiling. With this, the future of star guard Zach LaVine has since been in question.
LaVine turned 28 this March, which means we’re likely in the prime years of his career. On a roster with the quality of the current Bulls, it might be better served for both sides to find a new home. LaVine wants to compete, and the Bulls want to retool their roster; it’s a mutual exchange.
There is quite a bit of skepticism throughout the league that the Bulls and LaVine are going to finish this five year marriage that they entered. This is coming from the outside, it’s not coming from the Bulls but there are just quite a bit of people that I talked to around the league who do not think this is a long-term marriage is going to last.
- NBC Sports’ Bulls Talk Podcast on LaVine’s future in Chicago.
We saw the Utah Jazz this past season exceed all expectations in what was supposed to be a complete rebuilding year, turning to only being a few games out of the play-in within the extremely challenging West. Now, the Jazz need to find a definitive direction going into next season.
While tanking for a high draft pick is enticing in terms of the future outlook of the team, they may be more inclined to try to build a competitive roster sooner than later. This consequently makes the idea of a LaVine trade at least somewhat enticing.
Next season, the Jazz’s first round pick is owned by the Oklahoma City Thunder if it falls outside of the top 10. If the 2022-23 season taught us anything, nothing is guaranteed when trying to tank. A team that projects as a bad team can end up becoming one of the league’s surprises. So, instead of trying to tank and potentially falling short of acquiring their own draft pick, why not try and be competitive now?
Utah doesn’t necessarily have to tank until they get a top pick. Last season’s offseason trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert gave Danny Ainge the flexibility to create a competitive roster as soon as possible. While still having the chance to net extra lottery picks within the next three to five years in the process, the Jazz can build the best team they can right now.
A fit of Zach LaVine on the Jazz can give him a similar offensive workload he’s seen in Chicago, but with a better supporting cast. Along with three first round picks in this year’s draft (even though some of these can be thrown in a deal to acquire LaVine), there’s a chance for this combination of young and experienced talent to be a top-six seed in the West next season.
Of all of the teams that could be interested in LaVine, Utah is among one of the better options available. They have the ample cap space to take on his deal, the capital to acquire him from the Bulls, and it still gives the front office the ability to make more moves without being handicapped.
While there’s been no official word from the Bulls as of yet, Nikola Vucevic could end up leaving the team in free agency, and DeMar DeRozan’s name has frequently been tossed around in trade ideas. If one, or both of these end as the result, it’s very possible we've seen LaVine play his final games in a Bulls jersey.
The Jazz must continue to keep close watch on this situation if the team is serious about generating a competitive roster for next season.
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