Question #2: Will Zach LaVine be traded before the season?
This is the question that has been hanging over the Bulls for years and they are not any closer to answering it after a market for LaVine never developed.
That could change, as teams will get desperate at some point (we're looking at you Clippers), at which time LaVine could become an option.
This is the question that will most affect question #1, as a healthy LaVine along with Coby White might be just enough to keep the Bulls competitive, at least competitive enough to miss out on a top pick.
Waiting to trade LaVine has potential upside, as he could play well and make himself more attractive to other teams. The risk is that he plays just enough and just well enough to make the Bulls a 30-win team, the familiar position of not being good enough for the playoffs but not being bad enough for a top pick.
The Bulls clearly don’t want to just give LaVine away, and they shouldn’t, but at some point, he is the player that is going to dictate the direction they go.