Grade the trade: Bulls reboot with proposed Zach LaVine trade to Lakers

If the Chicago Bulls want to start some kind of rebuild this summer, trading Zach LaVine will be priority number one. 

Given his injury history, there won’t be teams lined up to give up much for the two-time All-Star, especially given the three years remaining on his deal at $43, 45 and 48 million. 

There are only a few types of trades that will be available if the Bulls do decide to move Zach LaVine. 

Dumping him to a team with cap space 

The Detroit Pistons immediately come to mind as a location where the Bulls might be able to dump LaVine’s contract without getting much back in return. The Pistons are desperate to make some kind of splash and do have some young players that might interest Chicago. Whether they’d be willing to part with any of them is a different story. 

But if the Bulls are willing to basically give LaVine away to a team with cap space, the Pistons, 76ers, Magic and Jazz are all possibilities. 

Trading Zach LaVine for another team’s trash 

The other option would be to move LaVine for equivalent money in the form of players another team doesn’t want. 

When healthy, LaVine can move the needle for a good team and one might be willing to take that risk if they are not giving up much in return, which is what happens in a recently proposed trade. 

Chicago Bulls trade Zach LaVine to the Los Angeles Lakers 

The Lakers will look to make an impact move this summer and could resort to LaVine if they strike out on other high-profile targets like Trae Young. 

LaVine makes sense for the Lakers as a fit if he is healthy and the LA might be able to get him without giving up any of their best trade assets. 

Bleacher Report suggested a trade in which the Bulls send LaVine to LA for a trio of players on lower contracts. 

This one is problematic right away, as it would require D’Angelo Russell to opt in to the final year of his deal and he may have no interest in doing that. He could decline his option and seek a longer-term deal in free agency. 

But we’ll play along for the sake of argument. 

This makes perfect sense for the Lakers, who are in win-now mode if LeBron James stays and don’t care about future financial problems. If LaVine is the best player they can get, and they only have to give this up to get it, this is a no-brainer, as Russell is leaving anyway and the other two gave them nothing.

But what about for the Bulls? 

Grade for Bulls LaVine trade to Lakers 

This would be tough for the Bulls, who are giving up the best player in the deal. 

But Russell gives you most of what LaVine gives you, and more importantly, he’s healthy. He’s only under contract for one season and then the Bulls have nearly $20 million off the books instead of owing another $80 million to LaVine. Russell may end up playing more games than LaVine next season and making a bigger impact anyway. You could argue the Bulls would be a better team with Russell. 

Vincent and Vanderbilt are both overpaid role players, whose deals go beyond next year, which would be a tougher pill for the Bulls to swallow. Both guys were injured this season and are overpaid for the production they’ve provided. 

Vincent is owed $11 and 11.5 million over the next two seasons, which wouldn’t be a terrible cost to eat. Vanderbilt would be tougher, as he’s signed through the 2027-28 season, escalating from $10-13 million. He’s had a couple of ok seasons and is a decent rebounder who is not going to give you much else in terms of offense or rim protection. 

But it would get the Bulls out from under their worst contract, reap some cap space after next season and at least give them three players who can be in an NBA rotation. 

It’s not the best deal, but it might be the best-case scenario for the Bulls. 

Grade: B-