3 Stars every team should avoid trading for this summer

3) Zach LaVine

Zach LaVine is a prolific scorer and one of the best isolation players in the league with an aptitude for knocking down tough shots. He’s a three-level scorer with an elite mid-range game and the ability to knock down contested shots off the dribble from anywhere on the court.

In seven seasons with the Chicago Bulls, LaVine has averaged 24.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. At surface level, those look like some attractive gaudy numbers, but beware. When you dig a little deeper, you may get scared away. 

Despite posting impressive box scores, the two-time All-Star’s play doesn’t equate to winning. Since LaVine arrived in the Windy City, the Bulls have had exactly one winning season and one postseason appearance. Furthermore, the athletic wing has an injury history that should make any general manager wary. LaVine’s injury history predates his time in Chicago, suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in 2017 while playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Since then he has undergone another surgery on the same knee as well as surgery to address an injury in his right foot that limited him to just 25 games this past season. LaVine has been plagued by injuries for most of his career, missing 113 regular season games across 10 seasons in the NBA. Combine all that with the fact that he’s owed nearly $140 million over the next three seasons, and it’s no wonder the Bulls haven’t been able to move him despite all their efforts. 

Apparently, teams around the league have gotten the memo as ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported, “Literally there is no market for Zach LaVine. They are trying to give him away and attach a first-round pick…and that is not happening.” Outlooks can change overnight in the NBA so anything is possible we’re barely a week into free agency. Still, if you have half a brain and work in an NBA front office, STAY AWAY!