3 pros & 3 cons of the Utah Jazz potentially acquiring Zach LaVine
By Matt John
Con: LaVine is paid like a franchise player (and he isn't one)
For all the individual success LaVine has accumulated with the Bulls, it hasn't translated into much success for Chicago. The Bulls showed their faith in him by rewarding him with a five-year contract worth well over $200 million. In return, the Bulls made the playoffs exactly once, and have won playoff victory to show for it.
Is that LaVine's fault? It's hard to say. LaVine's lack of team success throughout his career can be attributed to misfortune. The Bulls looked like they had turned a corner when they brought in Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, but Lonzo's indefinite absence ruined everything. The Timberwolves remained a bottom-dweller until Anthony Edwards came to town.
In Utah, LaVine wouldn't go to exactly a contender. He could be a step in the right direction for them, but LaVine is not the level of game-changer that other recently traded stars have been. Or at least, he hasn't proven that he is.
The fact that the Bulls' price for him has stooped even further demonstrates that there isn't much current faith around the league in how much he would raise a team's ceiling.