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According to Haynes, the Bulls have prioritized finding a trade for Zach LaVine first and foremost this offseason:
Haynes reported that the Bulls have prioritized trying to find a trade to ship out Zach LaVine over talks with DeRozan, who completed a three-year, $85 million contract with Chicago this season.
And it’s not hard to determine why, as LaVine – even when healthy – isn’t the most impactful player in the win-loss department. And his health is in huge question now considering he just missed the bulk of 2023-24 with a season-ending injury.
Of course, the problem is LaVine’s salary, as the former UCLA standout has three years and roughly $138 million left on his contract, making a trade very difficult to find.
According to The Athletic, at least one team has some level of interest in LaVine: the Sacramento Kings. The Athletic reported:
He remains a name to watch for the Kings heading into the week. Zach LaVine has been rumored, and league sources confirm Sacramento has some level of interest, but he would arrive with a tricky contract situation. LaVine has three years and $137.8 left on his current deal, a perhaps unpalatable number considering the Kings’ growing financial picture. Any deal on this front, league sources said, would likely involve the Kings needing to be incentivized to take on LaVine’s massive deal.
Our own Scotto, though, reported that the Kings’ big extension with Malik Monk might have cooled their interest in LaVine:
Looking ahead, the Bulls are continuing to search for a new home for guard Zach LaVine, league sources said. Some rival executives believed the four-year, $78 million agreement with Malik Monk would take Sacramento out of any LaVine talks. As previously reported by HoopsHype before the trade deadline, Kings guard Kevin Huerter, also a trade candidate, has admirers in Chicago’s front office.
That’s all to say, good luck to the Bulls trying to find a LaVine trade.
You can read the latest Zach LaVine trade rumors and salary info here.