New York Knicks: Trades that could land Zach LaVine

Reviewing Zach LaVine

LaVine has developed quite nicely since coming into the league. He started as a fast and agile guard who could attack the rim but had a questionable jumper. But throughout his time in the league, LaVine has worked on his craft and has become an efficient scorer.

The 6’6″ combo guard was an outstanding scorer for the Bulls the 2019-2020 season. He averaged 25.5 points with a slash line of .450/.380/.802. There were games where he went nuclear and opposing defenses could only hope to contain him. Through 31 games, he scored 25 points or more in a single game, with the most being 49 points this season – this would explain why he was ranked as the 11th  best scorer in the NBA this season.

The key to his success was that LaVine was able to improve his shot selection, which has made him a dynamic scorer.

As a rookie, LaVine attempted mostly mid-range jumpers – long twos to be exact – which isn’t necessarily the most efficient style of basketball. According to Cleaning the Glass, 43 percent of LaVine’s shot attempts were mid-range jumpers – with 30 percent of them being long twos, 35 percent were around the rim, and the remaining 22 percent were three-pointers. In comparison, this past season, LaVine’s shot attempts were 37 percent three-pointers, 44 percent around the rim, and 19 percent as midrange.

LaVine demonstrated an ability to recognize which shots are valuable and adapt, a significant improvement.

Another notable strength is LaVine’s athleticism. He is very creative off the dribble and has a litany of exciting in-game dunks. LaVine’s pure athleticism is a trait the Knicks desperately need in order to keep defenses on their toes.

Sadly, with all LaVine’s improvements, it hasn’t translated into more wins for the Bulls. This blame shouldn’t be entirely placed on LaVine because the Bulls have not necessarily equipped this team to be successful. Nevertheless, LaVine doesn’t appear to be a difference-maker like Jimmy Butler, Victor Oladipo, or Devin Booker.

Even though LaVine is not a leader like these players, he could be an excellent complementary piece on a more-equipped team because of his scoring. Since he is still 25 years old – only a few years from reaching his prime – with two years left on his contract, it makes sense the Knicks would want to trade for the young guard to see if he could fit on the roster they’re building.

Due to LaVine’s age, contract, and improvements, the Bulls would want a decent return for one of their better players. Yet, the Bulls should also be aware that he may be leaving after his contract is up, and they would lose a valuable player for nothing. They should even realize that trying to trade LaVine in the last year of his contract would be extremely risky. The Bulls would be selling low at that point because the receiving team wouldn’t send a lot of assets for a one-year (or less) rental.

As I stated earlier, we know the Knicks are one of the few teams that seem interested in trading for the young guard. And Jonathan Macri pointed out, the Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets, and other organizations have better trade packages to offer than the Knicks.

Since the price is so high for LaVine, the Knicks would only come out on top if no other teams want to trade for LaVine, or LaVine’s demands a trade causing Chicago’s bargaining power to drop.