With the 2025 NBA Deadline a week away, Zach Lavine is one of a few stars who have been heavily involved in trade rumors this season. He's been linked to a few teams including the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks. His name has also popped up in multiple Jimmy Butler multi-team deal scenarios.
Speaking on The Stein Line, Jake Fischer reported that LaVine wants to finish the 2024-25 season in Chicago. While many want LaVine to be traded ahead of the deadline next week, the right choice for both him and the Bulls is to remain in the Windy City through the end of the season.
LaVine has had a bounce-back year after only playing 25 games last season. He's on pace to potentially land the third All-Star nod of his career. He's averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists while shooting career-highs from both the field and from three. LaVine is playing his most consistent basketball in recent memory.
Despite the great play, Lavine's contract is still the biggest obstacle in any team's way of wanting to trade for him. Following this season, Lavine still has two years and over $93 million left on his contract. With the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in place, it has become more difficult to trade contracts like LaVine's. While his contract has been seen as one of the worst in the league for a couple of seasons, his recent play has begun to make his exorbitant pact more palatable.
The Bulls should retain LaVine at least through the end of the season
If the Bulls were to trade Lavine between now and February 6, the organization would most likely not get the return they are looking for. Allowing the 29-year-old to play a full and healthy season before this summer would not only allow him to play at his best without the stress of in-season trade rumors but also allow the Bulls to obtain the best possible return if the team were to try to move him this summer.
At the same time, there are other options for the Bulls to look at in terms of trades. Nikola Vucevic has been another name that has remained prevalent in trade rumors. Vucevic has been linked to numerous teams including the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. Of the two veterans, Vucevic is the more likely of the two to be dealt ahead of the deadline.
Vucevic may not be the only player who could be on the move, as a recent report fromJoe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times revealed multiple players could be trade targets:
"Besides rookie Matas Buzelis – not that he’s completely untouchable – Karnisovas would be willing to part with anyone on the roster if they felt it would make the Bulls a better product long-term and help them keep the 2025 top-10 protected draft pick."Joe Cowley
Currently sitting at 20-28 and 10th in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls are on the verge of falling out of the play-in. Via Tankathon, the Bulls have the ninth-worst record in the league, which would allow them to retain their top-10 protected 2025 first-round draft pick owed to the San Antonio Spurs as a part of the 2021 DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade.
Moving on from Vucevic and potential players would not only allow Chicago to remain near the bottom of the standings but also allow LaVine to have the ball in his hands more over the last 30-plus games of the season. While much of the fanbase may want to see the team move on from the two-time All-Star in hopes it could help the Bulls going forward, keeping LaVine through the end of the season may be the best option for the team's imminent future.