NBA trades: A potential Nuggets deal with the Bulls would land them a Jokic co-star
Simmons proposed a deal to send Bulls star Zach LaVine to the Nuggets in exchange for Michael Porter Jr. and Zeke Nnaji. It would be a big deal for both teams, to say the least, with the Bulls getting off of LaVine's questionable contract while getting younger by acquiring Porter Jr.
The Bulls have been criticized in the past for not picking a direction but they appear to be picking one now, and not a moment too soon. The 2025 NBA Draft is stacked at the top and is headlined by generational prospect Cooper Flagg, who is currently playing for Duke.
Them moving on from a player such as LaVine makes a lot of sense since they need to move on from their veterans to be able to bottom out and tank. Doing so would not only ensure that they would end up with a high lottery pick but it would also ensure that they don't give up their lottery pick to the San Antonio Spurs.
The Spurs own the Bulls 2025 first-round pick if it falls outside of the top 10, which it currently doesn't look like it will. That being said, it is also top 8 protected in 2026 as well as in 2027. That means that the Bulls will have to be one of the worst teams in the NBA for the next three seasons to make sure that they don't give up a lottery pick.
That will be hard for a big market team like the Bulls to do but they already moved on from DeMar DeRozan over the summer and LaVine as well as starting center Nikola Vucevic appear to be the next veterans to be on the move.
Meanwhile, in the hypothetical deal, the Nuggets would get off of two of the worst contracts for the price of one bad contract.
… I kinda like the Bill Simmons “Michael Porter Jr. and Zeke Nnaji for Zach LaVine” trade idea.
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) October 30, 2024
Chicago breaks up the LaVine contract and clears the ball-handling logjam for Coby and Giddey.
Denver gets a badly-needed dose of creation without sacrificing shooting.
It should be noted, however, that LaVine is still a very good player and could help Denver this season. At 28 years old, he is still in his prime and while he's had two major surgeries, he has played well early on this season, suggesting that he could still be a great player going forward.
His offense would be a major help for the Nuggets, who are desperate for more shooting. Over the last seven seasons, LaVine has shot an impressive 38.5% from three on more than 7 attempts per game, as well as being one of the more efficient mid-range shooters in the NBA.
That level of offensive production would more than replace Porter Jr., while Nnaji, who is signed to a 4-year, $32 million deal but not in the Nugget rotation, wouldn't be missed. His dead salary and even the roster spot that he takes up are hurting the Nuggets, with them near the second apron and at the 15-man roster limit.
There is a reason for both teams to want to do the deal but would the Nuggets? Next, we'll take a look and see if they would agree to the deal, followed by the Bulls.