NBA Mock Trade: OKC Thunder Send Point Guard to Chicago Bulls to Add Firepower
On Tuesday, the Athletic’s Shams Charania sent ripples through the theoretical NBA trade market, reporting that Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls could be looking to mutually part ways soon.
With a seemingly unlimited cache of draft picks and one of the best young cores in basketball, the Oklahoma City Thunder are constantly inserted in theoretical trade talks. And, realistically, could outbid near any team for players on the market.
LaVine, as an offensive star, would be an interesting get for Oklahoma City under their current roster configuration. Here’s what a deal between the Thunder and Bulls might look like:
Oklahoma City gets: Zach LaVine
Chicago gets: Josh Giddey, Davis Bertans, Vasilije Micic
Giddey is the obvious centerpiece of the trade for Chicago, who would be moving into their new era with a shiny, 6-foot-8 point guard. But the Aussie is still in his rookie deal, meaning others would be needed to make the money work.
The first would be Davis Bertans, who occupies $17 million on the Thunder books and, typically, fails to crack the team’s rotation.
But taking on that much potentially dead cap isn’t great for Chicago. And that’s where the final piece of the puzzle, Vasilije Micic, comes in as both the player who both sweetens the pot and gets the money close enough to cash considerations range.
Ultimately, it’s highly unlikely this deal gets done with Oklahoma City being just 11 games into their new core’s inaugural season. But a thought exercise never hurt anyone.
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