Chicago Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas anticipates Zach LaVine will be with the team at the start of training camp, as reported by NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson on July 15. This is in spite of ongoing trade rumors surrounding the two-time All-Star.
NBA training camps begin in late September and early October, and much can change before then, including the currently stagnant trade market for LaVine.
LaVine has been available for trade since the 2023 deadline. Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz has proposed a potential solution involving a three-team trade that would send LaVine to Los Angeles, where he lives and trains in the offseason.
Swartz’s proposal suggests the Bulls send LaVine to the Los Angeles Clippers along with the two second-round picks they received from trading DeMar DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings.
Proposed Trade Details:
Bulls receive:
– Bones Hyland
– Norman Powell
– P.J. Tucker
– Zeke Nnaji
Clippers receive:
– Zach LaVine
– 2025 second-round pick (via DEN)
– 2026 second-round pick (via DEN)
– 2028 second-round pick (via CHI)
– 2029 second-round pick (via CHI)
Nuggets receive:
– Russell Westbrook
– Amir Coffey
“The Los Angeles Clippers meet the criteria for a team desperate enough to take on Zach LaVine, as the UCLA product can serve as a cheaper and younger version of Paul George who’s now on a shorter contract as well,” Swartz wrote on July 17. “Chicago is finally free of LaVine’s deal, giving the franchise a lot more financial flexibility moving forward.”
Bulls Land $43 Million Package in Proposed Trade:
Hyland averaged 6.9 points, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 rebounds in 37 appearances for the Clippers in 2023-24, all career-low marks. He is in the last year of a four-year, $10.7 million contract with a $4.1 million cap hit in 2024-25.
Powell is in the fourth year of a five-year $90 million contract with a $19.2 million charge in 2024-25. He tied his career-high with 76 appearances in 2023-24, but his 13.9/2.6/1.1 stat line marked his worst campaign in each category since the 2018-19 season.
Tucker averaged 1.7 points and 2.7 boards in 31 appearances, landing with the Clippers in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers in November 2023. Tucker has an $11.5 million hit in 2024-25, the final year of a three-year, $33 million contract.
Nnaji averaged 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in a career-high 58 appearances for the Nuggets in 2023-24. He is starting a four-year, $32 million contract extension and has an $8.9 million cap hit in 2024-25.
The Bulls would need to adjust their roster if this trade goes through, as they already have 14 guaranteed contracts as of July 17, per Spotrac.
Bulls Would Shed Zach LaVine and Future Salary in Proposed Deal:
Swartz’s proposal would add roughly $795,000 to the Bulls’ payroll in 2024-25, with the incoming players accounting for $43,827,708 against the cap. LaVine is owed $43 million in Year 3 of a five-year, $215.1 million contract.
However, this proposal could save the Bulls up to $17.3 million in 2025-26. LaVine is set to count just under $46 million against the cap in 2025-26, while only Nnaji and Powell currently have contracts through that season. Hyland will be a restricted free agent after the 2024-25 season, so the final incoming cap hit could increase. The Bulls would still have control over that situation.
Swartz’s proposal would relieve the Bulls of a burdensome contract while providing them with two players they can use on the court or trade (Powell and Tucker) and two others they can develop (Hyland and Nnaji).