Could an old friend of the Chicago Bulls find himself back in the Midwest?
After seven full seasons with the franchise, Zach LaVine found himself on a plane to Sacramento. The franchise’s max player was part of a three-team deal that landed the San Antonio Spurs De’Aaron Fox and the Bulls multiple role players. The trade put an end to years of rumors surrounding LaVine’s availability, and it also put the Bulls in a position to jumpstart a youth movement.
As for the Kings, since LaVine joined former teammate DeMar DeRozan, things have only gotten worse. While the roster is filled with multiple win-now pieces, they are 5-13 on the season in an uber-competitive Western Conference. *Chicago fans let out sarcastic gasp* The slow start has immediately led to a flurry of trade rumors, with many speculating that the Kings will press the reset button ahead of this year’s February trade deadline.
But will they be able to find a suitor for LaVine – one of their most expensive assets?
The Bulls know well the challenge that can come with moving a contract that big, especially mid-season. LaVine is still owed roughly $49.0 million next year, assuming he picks up his player option. While moving that money might be easier for Sacramento due to one less guaranteed year on the deal, it’s still hard to come up with a short list of teams that could try to make it work. That’s likely why Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that the market for both has been quiet during the early portion of this season.
With that said, the long-time NBA insider did provide an exception. Scotto specifically named-dropped one of the Bulls’ Central Division foes as a team that has put LaVine on their radar.
“The Milwaukee Bucks have conducted background due diligence on LaVine and others around the league, as usual, sources told HoopsHype. However, nothing is imminent as Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo nears a return from a low-grade adductor strain.”
I encourage you to read Michael Scotto’s full intel piece on the NBA on HoopsHype.
Feb 24, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (8) reacts after scoring against the Charlotte Hornets during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn ImagesMilwaukee Bucks Showing Interest in Zach LaVine?
As many Chicago Bulls fans may remember, this isn’t the first time Zach LaVine’s name has been associated with the Milwaukee Bucks.
As the Bulls scoured the trade market for a suitor last season, the Bucks’ name would come up time and again. Multiple reports suggested that they liked the idea of adding another perimeter scoring threat alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. Plus, considering Damian Lillard was on the team at the time as the primary point guard, LaVine’s off-ball skills and efficiency felt like an understandable fit.
While Lillard has ended up back in Portland, I guess the Bucks have not stopped viewing LaVine as someone who could make sense in their lineup. They did go out of their way to sign big man Myles Turner to a multi-year deal, but their backcourt remains without a clear go-to man. Milwaukee has leaned on a mix of Ryan Rollins, Gary Trent Jr., and AJ Green. Each may be viewed as a servicable role play, but none can provide the consistent scoring output that LaVine can.
Still, it’s not as if making this trade work would be all that easy for either party. The Bucks would surely look to include Kyle Kuzma’s $22.4 million contract, but this doesn’t even match half of LaVine’s deal. Their next best deal to throw in – assuming the goal is to keep Turner and Antetokounmpo – would be Bobby Portis at $13.5 million. But do they really want to give him up? He’s been an extremely valuable piece of their rotation for years.
The Bucks could always try to get multiple teams involved, but we all know that this can only make finalizing a deal that much harder. I suppose the good news is that the league may be in store for quite the active deadline with a handful of disgruntled stars already on the market. Ja Morant and Anthony Davis have been the talk of the town in recent weeks. Even Trae Young’s name has been a popular one for fans to speculate about. At the end of the day, moving a big contract is that much easier when there are other big contracts to include!
Anyway, how funny would it be if LaVine ended up roughly 90 minutes from Chicago after all this mess? I would at least be happy to see him FINALLY suiting up in a more competitive environment, but we also know that the Bucks are far from a stable organization right now. Knowing Zach LaVine’s luck, he’ll land in Milwaukee to news of Antetokounmpo’s departure. Maybe that’ll be to Chicago!
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