The Chicago Bulls appear to be stuck with Zach LaVine...for now.
Given the rapidly deteriorating relationship between the two sides, it’s hard to see LaVine playing out the rest of his contract in Chicago, but so far there have been no takers in trades.
That could change, as some team will could desperate and talk themselves into LaVine and there is also a good chance he’s healthy and regains some of his trade value before next year’s deadline.
There are also several nightmare scenarios where the Bulls get stuck with the last three years of LaVine’s deal, not ideal for a team trying to embrace a youth movement and more financial flexibility.
The Bulls could be trapped in NBA limbo until the LaVine era is over, not good enough to be truly competitive, but not bad enough to max out their chances at landing top talent in the NBA Draft.
In the worst-case scenario, LaVine gets hurt again and the Bulls are never able to trade him, but there is light at the end of this era for a team that should have ascending talent, players in their prime and a ton of cap space by the time it's over.
Coby White will still be in his prime in three years and could be an All-Star. Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and Patrick Williams will just be entering theirs and with LaVine’s monster deal off the books, the Bulls should have the flexibility to chase a superstar in free agency in the summer of 2027.
There are a ton of good players who will be available in three years, including four standouts.
Donovan Mitchell
Mitchell will be just 30 years old in three years, still in his prime and has a player option for the 2027-28 season.
By that time, salaries for max players will have gone up even more, so Mitchell will likely decline that option and seek another monster deal.
The 5-time All-Star isn’t a perfect fit with the core I named above, but he’s a superstar who can move the needle and will be one of the top free agents available to teams that have the cap space.