Grading trades is about as subjective as it gets. It's almost impossible to accurately assess a trade once it's been made, which is why outlets typically revisit trades months or even years later to offer a fresh outlook. When the Chicago Bulls sent Zach LaVine to Sacramento, the reaction was that an ill-conceived move was made.
The Bulls had successfully rid themselves of LaVine's contract, but for what? Chicago traded its leading scorer and best player for Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, and a 2025 first-round pick that was originally their own. Salary-dumping an All-Star talent should never be praised—and in this case, it certainly wasn't.
Pippen Ain't Easy gave the Bulls a C in the LaVine-to-Sacramento trade, ESPN provided a B+, Bleacher Report a D+, while Fox Sports also gave the Bulls a C. All admitted the immediate return was less than stellar, but acknowledged the trade was made with the future in mind, thus, the so-so grades were handed out.
However, as mentioned above, revisiting trades is worthwhile, and there's no better time to do so following the Bulls' and Kings' Play-In losses mere hours apart. The Miami Heat decimated the Bulls, 109-90, led by Tyler Herro's 38 points. Post-All-Star breakout star Josh Giddey scored 25 points and added 10 rebounds in the loss. As for Chicago's newest additions, Jones sat out with an injury, Collins only played five minutes, and Huerter scored 10 points.
The Kings fared no better against the downtrodden Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs once led by 26 points, before coming away victorious 120-106. Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson combined for 50 points against the Kings, while Sacramento's big three of LaVine, DeRozan, and Sabonis totaled 64. LaVine scored 20, however, he went 8-of-19 from the floor, turned it over five times, and recorded a plus/minus of minus-22—the second-worst mark between both teams.
The Bulls made the right decision trading LaVine at the deadline
LaVine didn't lead the Kings to a Play-In victory, nor did the trio of Bulls' newcomers. Nonetheless, that's not a very apt comparison. The former is a two-time All-Star who averaged 23.3 points while shooting 51.1 percent from the floor and 44.6 percent from three. The Bulls trio combined to average just over 33 points per game in the Windy City. LaVine is the difference-maker, and he's compensated as such.
Moreover, the Bulls finally came to the understanding that, despite offering premier offensive talent, LaVine isn't a game-changer worthy of nearly $50 million. It's likely the Kings were also well aware of this notion. But, with franchise centerpiece De'Aaron Fox requesting a trade, hinting at San Antonio as his preferred destination, the Kings didn't have much leverage. Acquiring LaVine was as good as it was going to get.
Still, adding LaVine to a core of 35-year-old DeRozan and Sabonis lacked intrigue. LaVine and DeRozan's partnership has already been well-documented. The two suited up alongside one another for three seasons in the Windy City. Their best season together came in 2021-22, when the Bulls won 46 games and squared off against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. Chicago ended up losing the series 4-1. The duo hovered around 20 points per game apiece and shot less than 43 percent from the field.
The following two seasons went even worse. The Bulls won 40 games in 2022-23 and 39 in 2023-24—the same total this season, with only half a season's worth of LaVine and no DeRozan. Meanwhile, Sacramento's win total decreased from 46 to 40, and to make matters worse, the Kings went 14-18 with LaVine on the roster.
All in all, both teams lost as ninth-seeds in the Play-In Tournament, and neither sported a .500 record. There's nothing to write home about, yet a silver lining exists: Chicago's future is much brighter than Sacramento's. The Bulls own their first-round pick thanks to the midseason trade and rank in the top 10 in projected salary cap room this offseason. The Kings' first-round pick is set to be conveyed to Atlanta, and worst of all, they will be stuck with the duo of LaVine and DeRozan for two more seasons.