Grade the Trades: Bulls swap Zach LaVine in 4 wild proposals
2. Revisiting LaVine negotiations with New York
One of the most difficult obstacles to overcome when it comes to trading LaVine away is his correctly evaluating his value around the league. Without a resume of playoff success under his belt, I can understand why many general managers might think he’s an empty calories scorer and not a winning player.
Fortunately, the Knicks are a team who seems to understand just how big of an impact Zach can have when in the right situation. Pippen Ain’t Easy’s own Cesar Toscano proposed this deal with the Knicks yesterday.
New York has aggressively pursued the All-Star guard in the past, even as recently as last season’s trade deadline, when the Bulls were rumored to be in potential negotiations. Obviously, a deal was never struck in the end, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to revisit talks now.
The Knicks are one of few teams that can offer a well-rounded package in trade talks for Zach LaVine.
Now that Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle are providing fringe All-Star production on cheap, long-term deals, the window for the Knicks to go all-in and compete for a title is officially open. That being said, they’re clearly still missing that third reliable piece, and perhaps nobody on the market is better suited to do just that than LaVine.
While the Bulls wouldn’t be receiving a ‘sure thing’ prospect in return, I believe stacking the deck with as many lottery tickets as possible is never a bad idea. Barrett’s ceiling on paper is arguably higher than even Zach’s, Grimes has looked like a very valuable player in spurts, and there’s potential for either of these picks (most likely the Knicks’ own and Dallas’ 2024 first-rounder) to end up becoming much better than originally expected. All in all, there’s a decent shot that at least one of these gambles ends up paying off.
Oh, and the D Rose reunion tour would be a sight to see. This doesn’t blow me away, but it’s a solid trade.