Nearly two years after ending the Donovan Mitchell-Rudy Gobert era, the Utah Jazz still don't have a clear direction for their future. They've been good enough that they haven't fully embraced the tank but still bad enough that they've missed the playoffs altogether.
This will truly be a telling offseason for the Jazz' plans going forward. It has been fun to watch the Jazz punch up in the face of low expectations, but when it doesn't result in much progress, that eventually loses its luster. Either they have to embrace the rebuild, or they have to make another legitimate push to get back into the playoff picture.
And that brings us to Zach LaVine. For what seems like an eternity now, LaVine has been on the trade rumor mill. He and the Bulls appear to have been on the outs for quite some time now, and per NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson, LaVine's price tag may be equivalent to that of a bargain bin item despite his reputation as a star.
"I’ve reported before what their asking price was---All-Star level talent, first-round picks or both---and my sense is that it has dropped significantly," Johnson wrote.
This may potentially present a rather interesting opportunity for the Jazz. They can get an All-Star-caliber player for supposedly not much. However, knowing their current position and who LaVine, there's a lot to consider here.
Pro: LaVine is one of the NBA's most efficient scorers
LaVine is coming off a season ailed by injury, which could serve as a turnoff for him as a trade candidate. However, when he's healthy, LaVine is an unquestionably pure bucket-getter.
Since coming into his own in Chicago dating back to 2018, LaVine has averaged 23 points or more outside of his injury-riddled 2023-24 campaign. In that same timeframe, he has shot as well as 50% from the field while only going as low as 45% from the field. His three-point shooting percentage has also ranged from 37.4% to 41.9%.
In essence, LaVine is not one of those high-volume, low-efficiency scorers. He is a proven three-level scorer capable of putting up 20 to 30 points a night. Those are rare to find. If that's not enough, LaVine is also a solid playmaker, averaging a little over four assists a game from 2018 to 2023.
He's not coming off the best season with the Bulls, but when LaVine is operating at 100%, defenses focus on containing him for a good reason. Getting that caliber of a scorer for a low price isn't an opportunity that always comes around.
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.
Pro: A Jazz trade reunites Lavine with Lauri Markkanen
LaVine and Markkanen played together on the Bulls from 2018 to 2021. The Bulls didn't achieve much then, but that can be attributed to a lack of direction headlined by poor team construction and coaching. Note that Jim Boylen hasn't had another NBA coaching gig since 2020.
Since then, both LaVine and Markkanen have developed into All-Star players. Now that they have found themselves as players and have experience with each other, who's to say it would be a bad idea to reunite them knowing the damage they could do?
Pairing stars who are familiar with each other's games could prove fruitful. Markkanen is more of the rarer archetype as a player compared to LaVine, but having another efficient scorer at his side could make life easier for one another.
Markkanen has been surrounded by solid scoring personnel since his time in Utah began in 2022, playing around the likes of Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson. Both of them are solid players, but don't consistently at an All-Star level. LaVine brings both consistency and efficiency that those two don't bring on a nightly basis.
Con: LaVine won't help the Jazz' defense
LaVine won't make any All-Defense teams anytime soon. Once upon a time, his individual defense was so bad that he was pretty much an internet meme. He has improved in that area to the point where he can't be exploited as easily, but no team would call about LaVine if their intent is to improve that side of the ball.
What makes the problem worse is that the Jazz had the worst defensive rating in the NBA, allowing 119.6 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com. Acquiring LaVine would shore up the offense a bit, but the defense wouldn't benefit much from him. Adding him wouldn't help a pressing need.
The point is, if the Jazz want to make a playoff push and not embrace the tank, they need more defensive personnel. Now, they can acquire LaVine and then add players who could improve their defense. Knowing how big LaVine's contract is, that would prove difficult.
Pro: Trading for LaVine could also get John Collins off payroll
When the Jazz acquired Collins, the reasoning was solid. He was a productive big who could be had for pretty much nothing. Sadly though, Collins disappointed with the Jazz, and they have him on their payroll for two more seasons.
If the Jazz want LaVine, they could knock out two birds with one stone by getting rid of Collins in the process, who could be used to help match salaries. There have already been proposed trade pitches for Collins. If they can get him off the team for a star like LaVine without sacrificing any assets, that's a home run.
LaVine is paid more than Collins, and his impact when it comes to winning is questionable, but at least he'd give them more bang for their buck than Collins would. However, no Collins would also unclog the Jazz' frontcourt.
Con?: LaVine might not be too keen on joining the Jazz
Believe it or not, this it not based on Utah's reputation for failing to lure star players. It's based on speculation on LaVine's previous actions. Back around the trade deadline, the Bulls discussed trading LaVine to the Pistons, per The Athletic's James Edwards III.
Coincidentally, LaVine opted for season-ending surgery, ending any chances of him going to the Pistons. While nothing has been confirmed, it's possible that LaVine did not want to play for one of the worst teams in the league. The Bulls don't have too much to brag about, but at least they've done well enough to reach the play-in.
The Jazz are not one of the worst teams in the league as currently constructed, but despite what they have and knowing the Western Conference is a bloodbath, it might not be too appealing no matter where they're located.
It may not be his choice in the end, but the Jazz ended a turbulent era with Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Among their options, they definitely want to avoid that coming back. If the Jazz want LaVine, it would be in their best interest to have something else up their sleeve to appeal more to him.