Ranking the Chicago Bulls’ 10 most valuable trade assets

3. Lonzo Ball

If only Lonzo Ball could stay healthy, fans just might be reflecting on the 2021-22 season in a whole different light. When he’s on the court, Chicago’s ball movement is much improved, the team plays better defense, and more often than not, wins basketball games. Lonzo’s impact on this team has been tremendous and he’s one of those players I just can’t envision the front office trading away for anything short of a genuine superstar.

That being said, his injury woes are starting to become a significant detriment to his career. Hopefully, the Bulls will soon receive an update on his knee and get Ball back on the court for the start of next year’s campaign.

2. DeMar DeRozan

There’s a serious debate to be had on just who the Chicago Bulls’ best player is. Given that Zach LaVine struggled with injury issues all year while DeMar DeRozan enjoyed the best season of his entire career in 2021-22, it’s hard to know how much of all this was a fluke. Personally, I’m of the opinion that Zach and DeMar are as close to a 1A and 1B situation as you’ll see in the NBA, and that’s not a bad thing.

However, time is not on DeRozan’s side. Set to turn 33 years old before the next season begins, DeMar is a whole five and a half years older than LaVine. This seriously affects DeRozan’s value in the trade market, which is why he ends up in just the second spot on this list.

1. Zach LaVine

As if there could be anyone else in this spot. Ever since the Jimmy Butler trade that sent the star guard to Minnesota in 2017, Zach LaVine has been the best player on the Chicago Bulls. While he was drafted much lower than the two players packaged alongside him in that deal—Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn—it wouldn’t take long for LaVine to emerge as the true prize.

LaVine is a bonafide top 20 player in this league, and his value certainly hasn’t been lost on other teams. There’s a good reason why Zach has attracted so much attention from other teams in free agency such as Dallas, Atlanta, and San Antonio, and that’s because he’s an elite scoring talent worth paying even the premium of a max contract extension for the Bulls.