Chicago Bulls: 3 mistakes to avoid at the trade deadline

Chicago Bulls mistakes to avoid at the deadline: Trading Zach LaVine

At this point, this happening is extremely unlikely for a few reasons. First, LaVine made the all-star team for the first time in his career this year and has broken out in an even bigger way than he did last season.

Second, going hand in hand with the first reason is the suitors for him just aren’t there right now to send a trade that can’t be refused. That is the only way any team should move a player of LaVine’s caliber. It simply isn’t possible for the teams that would desire to add him to make the offer needed for him.

It would require the Bulls taking a significantly worse trade than they could easily get in the off-season. Not that moving him should be on the table in the first place. LaVine is hands down the face of the team right now and he is bringing it every single night.

It’s important to remember the Bulls are also looking to improve how players view them in the post GarPax era. One way that absolutely does not happen is by randomly panicking and accepting a trade for a player who is doing everything LaVine is for you.

He’s earning his peers respect, ascending into a new tier of the top players league-wide this season. That respect helps in a number of ways, but mainly with word of mouth and how agents view the organization. Also, it’s rarely a good move to give up an all-star caliber player and elite-level scorer when you have one.

They’re not easily replaced. LaVine deserves the respect that he has shown the organization and that would require only trading him for the biggest of returns. That may not be coming in the off-season anyway, but it certainly isn’t coming before the NBA trade deadline.