Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls have entered an extremely difficult situation. Chances are that both parties have reached a saturation point and they might part ways soon. Over the last couple of years, the Bulls have been trying their best to create a winning environment. Unfortunately, no plan of theirs has worked so far, leaving them completely in the dust.
The Chicago Bulls and Zach LaVine are both open to exploring potential trades, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/lSEM3idYAM
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 14, 2023
Recently, Shams Charania announced that the 2x NBA All-Star and the Bulls have shown mutual interest in parting ways. Both parties are open to exploring various trade scenarios. Teams have already started probing into this matter and things are expected to pick up pace before the end of the regular season. But if the Bulls were to give up LaVine, it would result in a major loss as he’s arguably one of the best isolation players and shooters in the league.
Bulls veteran expected a different approach with Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan’s pairing
The Bulls have had a multitude of issues unfold over the last couple of seasons. The team has barely shown any chemistry or consistency. A few important players on the roster, such as Lonzo Ball, have been injury-prone since joining the team. Last season, the Bulls failed to conduct a systematic approach to their offense. Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan were all over the place. They never had a set role to play besides getting shots up.
Latest on the Bulls from @ShamsCharania:
∙Bulls, Zach LaVine both increasingly open to exploring a trade
∙ Bulls players led by Nikola Vucevic have expressed frustration with offense
∙Bulls, DeMar DeRozan remain apart on an extension— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) November 14, 2023
According to sources, veteran center Nikola Vucevic has grown greatly frustrated because of it. He claimed that the Bulls were expected to make changes and have a different approach to their offensive schemes. For six seasons, LaVine has been their scoring centerpiece but ever since including DeRozan, both players have dipped statistically as well.
Zach LaVine has not had much success in six seasons with the Bulls
Ever since joining the Bulls, Zach LaVine has only made one playoff run which concluded in the first round. They’ve struggled to win games while having 1.5x more losses on their record since 2017. Chicago has had three different coaches since Zach’s arrival as well. So clearly, the players need to be shifted around. There are multiple ways they can choose to work this out.
LaVine is currently under contract until 2026 or 2027 if he signs his $48.9 million player option. DeRozan is currently on an expiring deal and he has yet to sign an extension. While DeRozan brings a veteran’s experience, LaVine is more capable of being consistent, given that he is surrounded by a great team. So the Bulls could choose to let go of DeRozan next year. Or they could trade LaVine to see where the veteran can take them by the end of this year.