21 up-for-grabs players who may play a starring role in NBA trade deadline rumors
By Dalton Sell
Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls
After trading Alex Caruso to the OKC Thunder and parting ways with DeMar DeRozan, who is now with the Sacramento Kings, it felt like the partnership between the Chicago Bulls and Zach LaVine would inevitably come to an end. Well, while the Bulls shopped him this offseason, no one has yet taken the bait and made a compelling offer. That could change in the comings months.
When healthy, there's no denying LaVine's star status. Over the last seven years with the Bulls, he's averaged 24.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists while hitting 38.3 percent of his triples. He's an incredible athlete who can leap out of the gym for dunks while also shooting it from way behind the long line. As a two-time All-Star, he has made quite the name for himself in Chicago.
The primary concern with LaVine is that he's been consistently banged up over the last few seasons, which included playing just 25 games last season. Considering he's making $43 million next season and has another year on his deal plus a player option after that, teams might be justifiable in being hesitant to trade for LaVine, even if the potential is right there.
Like the aforementioned Ben Simmons, LaVine may have to play in Chicago for a few months to show he can stay healthy and play like the LaVine of old before any interest materializes.