The Bulls have discovered another reason to trade Zach LaVine ASAP

The Chicago Bulls struggled to find a suitor for Zach LaVine for most of the 2023-24 NBA season. With the franchise in development mode and LaVine's presumed desire to avoid a rebuild at this stage of his career, trading the 29-year-old makes sense for everyone involved.

But the money left on LaVine's contract (three years, $138 million), coupled with his lengthy list of lower leg injuries, makes him an unattractive trade piece for most - if not all - NBA teams.

Even if the Bulls did find a team willing to take on the two-time All-Star and his warts, Chicago likely wouldn't get much in return.

At this point, though, getting his salary off the books and opening up more playing time for younger prospects, especially in a loaded backcourt, would be worth making a deal regardless of the trade package.

And the Bulls have discovered yet another reason to move LaVine, as a pleasantly surprising preseason run from a supposed developmental prospect means even more minutes need to be cleared.

Julian Phillips is proving he's ready to be a full-timer in the Bulls rotation

Note: Phillips left Chicago's preseason game against the Milwaukee Bucks early with a rib injury. The severity is unknown, but he continued to play before leaving the floor for the night.

Rookie Matas Buzelis has been a revelation for the Bulls and has surely forced head coach Billy Donovan to find a significant role for him in 2024-25.

But Julian Phillips is doing the same.

In fact, he's arguably been Chicago's best player this preseason.

Through three games, the 20-year-old is third on the team in total minutes (he was first before leaving the Bucks game early) and leads the Bulls in total points (40). He's shooting 53.6 percent from the field and, most importantly, is shooting 47.1 percent from three on a team-high 17 attempts.

The 2023 draft's 35th pick is 6-foot-8 with a nearly 7-foot wingspan and plays with effortless explosiveness and athleticism. As he continues to add strength, he has every physical tool necessary to become a high-level wing defender.

Coupled with his uptick in three-point percentage, he has all the makings of the 3-and-D wing the Bulls desperately need.

Josh Giddey, Coby White and LaVine are locks for the regular season starting lineup. Ayo Dosunmu may be Donovan's sixth man, and Jevon Carter and Dalen Terry, the latter of whom is another young player who's flashed in the preseason, have cases for rotation minutes.

That's a glut of backcourt players. If the Bulls can offload LaVine, a player like Phillips is tailor-made to play next to Giddey, White and Dosunmu as a tall, long wing with legitimate defensive potential.

Will Phillips, who averaged 8.1 minutes and 2.2 points in 40 games as a rookie last year, immediately slide into that starting spot whenever LaVine is finally dealt? Perhaps not. But he's the exact archetype of a player who does fit that spot.

Phillips' standout preseason and claim to more regular season minutes, especially when the Bulls' top priority in 2024-25 should be player development, is yet another reason for the front office to offload LaVine as soon as possible.