Mavs Linked to Bulls Star Zach LaVine in Trade Speculation
The Dallas Mavericks have gotten off to a slower-than-anticipated start to the 2022-23 season, to say the least. Despite receiving MVP-level play from Luka Doncic, they enter Monday's matchup against the Phoenix Suns with an 11-11 record and ranking 10th in the Western Conference standings.
Among the major topics of conversation surrounding the Mavs has been the lack of a second All-Star to take some of the heat off Doncic. Jalen Brunson was emerging as that potential talent, but almost as soon as he had his breakout season, he was departing for the New York Knicks in free agency.
"I don't want to say that we don't have the Robin to Luka's Batman because that's a little disrespectful to the other guys on the team, but we don't have that bonafide All-Star to go along with Luka," Mavs general manager Nico Harrison said during a recent appearance on 96.7 The Ticket.
In a trade speculation piece by Bleacher Report, the Mavs would acquire Zach LaVine and Coby White from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green, Reggie Bullock, Davis Bertans and 2027 first-round pick.
The Bulls' top talents are increasingly being mentioned in trade speculation given the team's lack of success to start the season. Chicago holds a 9-14 record and ranks 12th in the Eastern Conference. They appear far from being the title contender they had aspired to be.
When evaluating the pros and cons of this trade idea, the benefit of adding an All-Star talent in LaVine jumps out immediately. The Mavs lack a co-star to pair with Doncic, especially after the departure of Brunson and the decision to move on from Kristaps Porzingis at last year's midseason deadline.
LaVine hasn't reached his usual standard of play since emerging as a star to start the season. In 19 games, he's averaging 22.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 42.2 percent from the floor and 35.1 percent from deep. However, his 41-point performance in his last outing offers some intrigue for him potentially finding his rhythm.
From a pure basketball standpoint, there's a lot to like. He has all of the tools to thrive off-ball next to Doncic while being another threat to run pick-and-rolls, receive handoffs, and be an isolation scorer. He's a motion shooter as well, so he can be deployed in many off-ball actions.
The major question here would be: Is LaVine the right choice when considering his injury history? He has a history of knee injuries and while he's only 27 now, the closer he gets to 30, the greater the concern that becomes. Parting with Green and an unprotected, far distant future first-round pick could prove to be concerning in the long run if the trade doesn't pan out.
While Green is the cleaner fit next to Doncic, one silver lining of this trade idea would be the acquisition of White. He at least would bring another young player into the fold that can develop long-term. With Spencer Dinwiddie not being included, he and White could form the bench backcourt.
Another benefit of this trade idea would be the ability to move on from the contract of Davis Bertans, which is considered as being one of the worst in the NBA right now. Hardaway isn't signed to a great deal either. Moving both players would help to clean up the Mavs' use of cap space to a degree.
With the Mavs not being a team loaded with future draft capital, they may need to be willing to make a risky trade such as this one to find that second All-Star. They aren't going to be the trade suitor for the next Donovan Mitchell deal and those other teams mostly aren't yet in a timeline to where they'd acquire LaVine.
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