Chicago Bulls: Any trade centered around Zach LaVine should be DOA

It’s mock draft and trade machine time for 93 percent of the NBA and the Chicago Bulls are right in the middle of things. That might surprise you due to the assets they gave up during the regular season to bring in Nikola Vucevic, Daniel Theis, and parts. The Bulls also officially lost their 2021 first-round pick Tuesday night when the Orlando Magic’s ping pong ball was pulled eighth.

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Now, the front office of Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley (who was in virtual attendance for the Lottery), along with Head Coach Billy Donovan has to pivot to continue improving this team.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Zach LaVine would be a part of the 12-man Olympic roster in Tokyo, putting a nice bow on what has been a solid last year for the Bulls star.

He had a career year statistically and was rewarded with his first All-Star appearance, and now this honor.

Considering all of this, the mock trades that are sending LaVine elsewhere for a package of players should be eschewed accordingly. No, LaVine is not untouchable.

That seems to be the defense whenever you balk at a hypothetical trade proposal for the 26-year-old guard.

The fact of the matter is, players like him don’t just grow on trees.

LaVine finished seventh in points per game this season as he averaged 27.4/5.0/4.9 and had two-thirds of the celebrated 50/40/90 plateau with a .507/.419/.849 slash line. Only eight players can boast a similar stat line.

When you factor in his efficiency, it’s a list of two: LaVine and Kevin Durant.

Now, this does need some context. LaVine is not the all-around, two-way player that Durant is. But the numbers are the numbers and they LaVine in rare company. To put it simply, guys like him don’t grow on trees.

So faux trades like ones that move him for Ben Simmons or some package from the Warriors are way off base.

Zach LaVine should be as close to untouchable as any Chicago Bulls player since Derrick Rose

If anything, the Bulls should be looking to add a Simmons (in theory) to play with LaVine. Instead, most have them moving him for part-plus, meaning the Bulls are getting more back in return than they’d give up.

That sounds an awful lot like rebuilding (or re-tooling) and we were led to believe this group was trying to compete.

That’s no assumption either. They told us in no uncertain terms. Moving one of the game’s best scorers does no good, especially when most of the questions surrounding this roster lie elsewhere.

And what about all the work done to rehab this franchise’s image?

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Part of the reason there’s so much speculation is because LaVine is entering the final year of his team-friendly deal and will be looking to get paid. But he also wants to win. The Bulls can offer him more money than any other team. The question is whether or not they are in a position to compete for a title in the next few years.

One thing is for sure, if they move LaVine for a “package” of any sort, the answer to the latter will be no.

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