With Alex Caruso beginning the purge of Chicago’s current depth chart, all eyes now turn to the two most significant remaining assets, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, one now boasts an increasingly rising interest level amongst rival teams. What has changed over the past week, and did the Bulls do right by waiting this long to part ways with their All-Star wing?
Zach LaVine Will Be The Consolation Prize
Cowley reports that the general feeling around the league is that many teams may miss out on the top free-agent targets, such as Paul George or James Harden, and need to pivot to a second-tier star similar to Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan. In Chicago’s case, this works out beautifully, as the remaining teams seeking veteran star power will be left to bid on someone like LaVine.
While early reports isolated the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, and Sacramento Kings as the top three suitors for his next destination, K.C. Johnson has recently added the Utah Jazz. The Jazz currently hold the 10th overall selection in the upcoming draft, but with the 10th and 11th picks, the Bulls may be able to leverage themselves into a higher draft slot closer to the top five where they’ve desired to land.
Elite Scorer, Health and Salary Concerns
Zach LaVine can provide a young team with a veteran scoring presence and All-Star caliber of play at 30 years old; having been the face of a franchise for the better part of a decade, he brings leadership to any locker room he joins. The main things holding a potential trade partner back are LaVine’s injury history and his lucrative contract. At $43 million annually, he’s a top-15 earner in the NBA and the only one on that list without an All-NBA selection. He also boasts the least number of playoff victories amongst those players, with only one in his career.
The Jazz would be Chicago’s best trade partner because their capital comes mainly in the form of draft stock, a key component to any successful rebuild. If the Bulls can turn LaVine into multiple first-round draft choices or multiple draft picks regardless of the round, it would be considered a successful deal for Chicago’s future.
Are Cowley’s reports accurate that bidding teams will have to settle for the next tier of NBA stars, or is he adding a wishful twist to the truth in favor of the Bulls? With each passing superstar that remains with their respective team, suitors become increasingly desperate for the addition of a star.
Even though Karnisovas’s group hasn’t proven the ability to trade their assets when most valuable, a hefty return for their aging star could win over Bulls nation overnight and buy his front office grouping another several seasons at the helm of a rebuild in Chicago. What would you like to see them do with Zach LaVine, and how much of a return can he yield on the open market?
