Nikola Vucevic trade rumors are beginning to heat up as the Chicago Bulls veteran center continues his career year.
Lonzo Ball and his overlooked productivity, along with his $21.4 million expiring contract, will likely become more appealing to other teams as the NBA trade deadline comes closer.
Veterans Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig could be targets for championship contenders looking for added depth. Believe it or not, the Bulls could pull off several moves before Feb. 6.
One player far less likely to find a new home, however, is guard Zach LaVine.
Despite LaVine's health (knock on wood) and return to All-Star form (22.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists on 51/42/80 shooting splits this season) the 29-year-old's albatross contract and the league's new second apron are making it wildly difficult for Chicago to find a trade partner.
But that won't stop the speculation as the rumor mill spins faster with the new calendar year approaching.
One LaVine-centric trade proposal was put out into the ether by Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report, and it's an intriguing idea for the Bulls and one of their Eastern Conference rivals.
Bulls send Zach LaVine to Pistons in curious mock trade
Swartz's proposal looks like this:
As of Dec. 12, the Pistons and Bulls have identical 10-15 records. That puts both teams, along with the Indiana Pacers, hovering around the final two postseason spots.
But the two franchises couldn't be going in more opposite directions, or at least attempting to.
Detroit, coming off one of the worst seasons in NBA history, has a young nucleus of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren. It changed coaches and added veterans like Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley in free agency last summer. The Pistons want improvement; a spot in the Play-In Tournament would be welcome.
Chicago has done the whole 9th- and 10th-place thing. After letting DeMar DeRozan head to Sacramento and trading Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City, the Bulls are finally embracing a youth movement around players like Coby White and Matas Buzelis.
The Pistons are a middle-of-the-pack defensive team (15th in defensive rating and points allowed) but a bottom-third offensive squad. Detroit's averaging just 110.5 points per game, good for 21st in the NBA, and its offensive rating of 110.9 ranks 22nd.
Placing LaVine's scoring ability and shooting prowess next to a playmaker like Cunningham and a slasher like Ivey would instantly boost the Pistons' offense and help them make a run to the postseason for the first time since 2018-19.
Grading this LaVine mock trade for the Bulls
Considering the difficulty Chicago continues to have finding any takers for LaVine, this trade has to be counted as a win no matter the return.
Hardaway's $16.1 million would come off the books after this season.
Stewart is a 23-year-old, 6-foot-8 bruiser with averages of 12.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per-36 minutes across his five NBA seasons. He shot a promising 38.3 percent from three last season on 3.8 attempts a night.
Fontecchio is a 6-foot-8 rotation wing and a 37.1 percent career shooter from deep in 141 NBA games. His floor spacing would fit snugly with the new-look Bulls and would help offset some of the shooting that would go out the door with LaVine.
Trading LaVine at any point this season, or at all before the end of his contract for that matter, would be a miracle by NBA standards. Landing an expiring contract and two rotation-caliber players, plus a future pick, would be a significant win.