Zach LaVine could end up landing with the Utah Jazz, but what would it take to land the All-Star?
The Chicago Bulls have floated out trading Zach LaVine a time or two, but aren’t sold on moving on from him just yet. Right now the hope is that the Bulls can be competitive in 2023-2024, but if they can’t be, they seem open to moving on from certain guys; at the right price. Right now the price for LaVine is said to be outrageous.
The Bulls are taking their lead from the Philadelphia 76ers apparently, who are asking for huge value in declining shooting guard James Harden. It feels like NBA GMs are really trying to exploit other teams by demanding outlandish assets in return for these players.
Right now, the Bulls would probably demand two rookies, four first-round draft picks, the money to match, and maybe another young, non-rookie player. That’s absurd for a 28-year-old with bad knees.
But what would a fair, but sensible trade cost the Utah Jazz if they wanted to land LaVine? Well, here’s what the Jazz should give up.
"Utah Jazz get: SG Zach LaVine, PG Alex CarusoChicago Bulls get: G Collin Sexton, C/F Kelly Olynyk, G Talen Horton-Tucker, F Brice Sensabaugh, 2026 First-Round (Top 10 Protected), 2030 First-Round Pick (Lottery Protected), 2029 Second-Round Pick."
Right now the Jazz have a huge crop of guards to deal with, and finding out who should play and who should be expendable will be hard. Making this trade gives the Jazz five guaranteed starters in Caruso, LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, and Walker Kessler, while then having Jordan Clarkson, Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Kris Dunn, and Luka Samanic coming off the bench.
You’re going to have to find ways to get Omer Yurtseven times, meaning you may have to cut someone like Dunn or trade Samanic, but right now this is a winning roster. Sure, it may not be NBA Finals-ready, but you’re in a good position in the near future to make it so.