LaVine getting foot surgery/Out for the season

[kodo]

Most likely timeline:

- Surgery Recovery: 4-6 months, latest August
- Trade talk revisited in the summer
- Structure of deal in place, pending on Lavine looking healthy
- Bulls start Lavine next season, shows his foot is fine. Demar & Vuc can still dominate the Bulls offense, Lavine just needs to show he's physically fine.
- Trade between Dec 15 - Deadline, difficult to get max contract trades done before 12-15

I expect it to be just a financial trade because both Derozan & Patrick need sizable new contracts, and we'll probably give it to both of them.

[ShouldaPaidBG]

This is 80s Clippers levels of incompetence

[jacoby1us]

This is 80s Clippers levels of incompetence

It’s like we’re literally stuck in purgatory and our only goal as of late is to compete for the playin tourney. The Bulls organization still feasting off the dynasty days which were almost 26 years ago.

[StephenAA]

One final thought on Zach having surgery just to avoid the trade:

He could accomplish the same thing by having his agent call the Pistons and say "hey, just so you know, Zach's considering season ending surgery, here's his updated medicals, and if you were to trade for him, given you won't make the playoffs, he would definitely do that" and accomplish the same thing without having a surgery or breaking a rule.

He doesn't need to actually have a surgery to scare off Detroit.

*
But Doug, I think you're missing the point. Ideally, they'd be fine with Zach not playing this year. Better draft opportunity. They're not going anywhere this year with or without Zach...

It's next year!!

AA

[League Circles]

I actually think this surgery / injury will be a blessing in disguise for both the Bulls and Zach. They will be forced to try to make it work, and it might. It will also give the Bulls and Zach an extended look on how they are without him, for better or worse. We can't takre back bad players on bog deals for Zach. Much smarter to just bet that he becomes, frankly, a guy like a Vince Carter or Demar Derozan who learns and blossoms into a better player for winning basketball in his 30s than in his 20s. Even Jordan was arguably better in his 30s. It's somewhat common among gunner types.

[aguifs]

Santa Claus is coming. Jeez

[drosestruts]

Pretty tough news as one of what seems like, the last few remaining Zach fans around here.

I also simply remain confused as to how and when Zach's value plummeted so fast.

Post All-star break last year Zach played at a legit super star level, and I don't think it's hyperbolic to say so.

He averaged 27 points per game on 53/39/88 shooting splits, had a TS% of 64.5% and added 5 assists.

You can filter stats to see who else was playing at this high of a level and it was really just Zach and and Tyrese Maxey.

And somehow, after what was an excellent finish to the season, his trade value quickly ceased to exist. Which remains mind boggling to me.

And without getting into the conspiracy theories of if this surgery is actually needed or just being made to avoid a trade to an undesired locations - it is happening. Which should help Zach start 2024-25 season healthy, which is a win for everybody whether you still want Zach here or would like to see him moved.

The more years that come off Zach's deal, the more tradeable he is to teams that have hesitations about the length of his deal.

For those that like watching young players blossom - it's gonna be a heck of a 2nd half of a season for you as you'll get plenty of chances to watch Coby, Ayo, Pat (hopefully), Terry, and Phillips.

I look forward to a healthy Zach next year, and yes healthy Zach is a thing that exists - he played in 85% of available games over the previous 3 seasons.

[aguifs]

Zach is fool's gold. How many times old DDR saved his ass. Jeez.

There's no surprise. The perception around the league is the same. Zach can't win. That's the reason his value hit rock bottom. Wake up.

[WindyCityBorn]

Most likely timeline:

- Surgery Recovery: 4-6 months, latest August
- Trade talk revisited in the summer
- Structure of deal in place, pending on Lavine looking healthy
- Bulls start Lavine next season, shows his foot is fine. Demar & Vuc can still dominate the Bulls offense, Lavine just needs to show he's physically fine.
- Trade between Dec 15 - Deadline, difficult to get max contract trades done before 12-15

I expect it to be just a financial trade because both Derozan & Patrick need sizable new contracts, and we'll probably give it to both of them.

DeRozan needs to walk this Summer.

[drosestruts]

Zach is fool's gold. How many times old DDR saved his ass. Jeez.

There's no surprise. The perception around the league is the same. Zach can't win. That's the reason his value hit rock bottom. Wake up.

I understand the growing narrative is "Zach can't win"

I've never been certain what year Zach should have won more.

Where's the season where people say - "that Bulls roster was really good, but Zach is holding them back"

In Zach's time in Chicago all I see are bad roster from a talent perspective, or bad rosters from a fit perspective.

[dougthonus]

*
But Doug, I think you're missing the point. Ideally, they'd be fine with Zach not playing this year. Better draft opportunity. They're not going anywhere this year with or without Zach...

It's next year!!

AA

Then the surgery wouldn't matter either way, and he still isn't having it to scare off Detroit. That said, the rumors for Detroit was they wanted to trade for him to improve the record this season and build momentum.

[Guru]

I think at this point you just revert back to the plan of building around Coby and Lavine and then pivot in the Fall if it doesn't work.

Are you kidding? Lol - what more do you need to see it doesn't work? No one in the Bulls is building around LaVine anymore. Him and Lonzo are baggage until they're off the roster. At this point the Bulls would be lucky to dump him for expiring contracts.

This binary thinking isn't how anyone in a position of leadership in the NBA thinks and it's not fun for fans.

LaVine is a stud. And he's relatively young.

AND you have no choice but to roll with Lavine. So you need to embrace it.

[Guru]

I think at this point you just revert back to the plan of building around Coby and Lavine and then pivot in the Fall if it doesn't work.

Uhhh in case you weren't paying attention the last 2 years, that ship has sailed.

Sent from my SM-S918U using RealGM mobile app

This Coby didn't exist then.

[Guru]

I think at this point you just revert back to the plan of building around Coby and Lavine and then pivot in the Fall if it doesn't work.

Are you kidding? Lol - what more do you need to see it doesn't work? No one in the Bulls is building around LaVine anymore. Him and Lonzo are baggage until they're off the roster. At this point the Bulls would be lucky to dump him for expiring contracts.

The Bulls are definitely building around/with Lavine until/unless they trade him, which is now probably a year away at earliest. He makes an enormous salary and put up great numbers before his 25 games of relatively poor play this season. He was very good after the deadline last year. He will be penciled in as the starting SG making his huge bucks and playing 35 mpg and taking lots of shots indefinitely now. They will and should do everything they can to make it work with him going into next year.

It's the only route. He can ask for a trade next year when he's pretending like he's bought in and scoring 25 a game.

If NBA roster management was easy it wouldn't be worth following or fun. This is frustrating and hard and fluid and that's why we are all paying attention.....it's fun.

[ScrantonBulls]

I think at this point you just revert back to the plan of building around Coby and Lavine and then pivot in the Fall if it doesn't work.

Are you kidding? Lol - what more do you need to see it doesn't work? No one in the Bulls is building around LaVine anymore. Him and Lonzo are baggage until they're off the roster. At this point the Bulls would be lucky to dump him for expiring contracts.

This binary thinking isn't how anyone in a position of leadership in the NBA thinks and it's not fun for fans.

LaVine is a stud. And he's relatively young.

AND you have no choice but to roll with Lavine. So you need to embrace it.

Is LaVine is a stud then why were no teams giving up anything of value for him?

[aguifs]

Yeah Lavine is a stud. better send him to the Kentucky Derby

[Guru]

Are you kidding? Lol - what more do you need to see it doesn't work? No one in the Bulls is building around LaVine anymore. Him and Lonzo are baggage until they're off the roster. At this point the Bulls would be lucky to dump him for expiring contracts.

The Bulls are definitely building around/with Lavine until/unless they trade him, which is now probably a year away at earliest. He makes an enormous salary and put up great numbers before his 25 games of relatively poor play this season. He was very good after the deadline last year. He will be penciled in as the starting SG making his huge bucks and playing 35 mpg and taking lots of shots indefinitely now. They will and should do everything they can to make it work with him going into next year.

I agree that he'll play and the Bulls will showcase him, but I don't think they're building the team with him going forward. Maybe they'll have no choice, but hopefully in a year they'll have better options.

What else are they going to do but try it in the Fall. He can't be traded for anything reasonable until he's proven healthy. You just go slightly undersized and then go White-Caruso-Lavine with Ayo backing up....extremely easy pivot if he still wants to go next December. (I can just imagine how hilarious it will all be as we wait for other teams players to be tradeable though)

[Guru]

Are you kidding? Lol - what more do you need to see it doesn't work? No one in the Bulls is building around LaVine anymore. Him and Lonzo are baggage until they're off the roster. At this point the Bulls would be lucky to dump him for expiring contracts.

This binary thinking isn't how anyone in a position of leadership in the NBA thinks and it's not fun for fans.

LaVine is a stud. And he's relatively young.

AND you have no choice but to roll with Lavine. So you need to embrace it.

Is LaVine is a stud then why were no teams giving up anything of value for him?

Absolutely. He is very very good. He just wasn't a fit.

Forming-Storming-Norming-Performing......He was never given the time to mesh. There has to be an acceptance period that those first 19 games weren't a winning style.

[Guru]

Yeah Lavine is a stud. better send him to the Kentucky Derby

Is it your understanding that horses breed at the Kentucky Derby?

[ScrantonBulls]

This binary thinking isn't how anyone in a position of leadership in the NBA thinks and it's not fun for fans.

LaVine is a stud. And he's relatively young.

AND you have no choice but to roll with Lavine. So you need to embrace it.

Is LaVine is a stud then why were no teams giving up anything of value for him?

Absolutely. He is very very good. He just wasn't a fit.

Forming-Storming-Norming-Performing......He was never given the time to mesh. There has to be an acceptance period that those first 19 games weren't a winning style.

If he is a stud then why weren't teams willing to give up anything of value for him?