Potential Zach Trade Partners? Playoff Edition.

[sco]

Something like:

Chicago In: Randle, Bogey Out: Lavine, Carter
NY In: LBJ Out: Randle Bogey
LA In: Lavine, Carter Out: LBJ

Although LA should get more. Maybe we throw-in POR 1st.

[Muzbar]

I'm curious to see what LeBron does if they're swept. Hard to imagine him wanting to stay, honestly. He's got the I want out of here body language that he gets every three seasons.

If he joins the block, there might be a surprisingly limited trade market for him since:

1. You'd have to find a suitor that feels like they can compete with LeBron.

2. Can take on LeBron's salary.

3. Can take on LeBron's salary while still fielding a contender.

Zach and the 11th pick might not be a bad starting point if that marriage is over.

With LeBron being sent to another team in a 3 way trade?

With him being here. After that press conference, AKME will go into job saving mode and will try to do something that significantly improves us in the short term.

Oh, in that case, absolutely not.

Something like:

Chicago In: Randle, Bogey Out: Lavine, Carter
NY In: LBJ Out: Randle Bogey
LA In: Lavine, Carter Out: LBJ

Although LA should get more. Maybe we throw-in POR 1st.

If the Bulls are hell bent on 'being competitive' then I'd be 'ok' with a trade like this, even without bringing DDR back.

[WindyCityBorn]

We are talking about Lebron trades? Really? Is this 2015?

Would be a total Bulls loser move to get him right as her nears retirement though.

[WookieOnRitalin]

Someone mentioned what's the point of trading Zach if you're not getting equal value of production in return.

The whole point is to rid your team of an empty jersey and not to get value in return. The removal of Zach is better for the franchise and allows players like Ayo and Coby to play and develop more.

The only thing that would be better is if we could get Vuc gone as well.

AK man.

1) Vuc Trade
2) Ball Signing
3) Zach Extension

Just horrific.

[sco]

Someone mentioned what's the point of trading Zach if you're not getting equal value of production in return.

The whole point is to rid your team of an empty jersey and not to get value in return. The removal of Zach is better for the franchise and allows players like Ayo and Coby to play and develop more.

The only thing that would be better is if we could get Vuc gone as well.

AK man.

1) Vuc Trade
2) Ball Signing
3) Zach Extension

Just horrific.

I get your sentiment. I'll counter a little big. Heading into next year I am certain about 1 thing. We don't have our #1 or #2 option guys for the next version of the Bulls that contends. Regardless of the development of our young guys, none of them will be better than the 3rd (likely 4th) best guy on that team. As AK will not rebuild, IMO, we need to be greedy to get every ounce of value from any place we can. Selling at the absolute bottom on Zach may feel good, but playing him at least through the deadline (maybe all season) may get us an extra 1st round pick that I think it's silly to piss away. Zach isn't a Harden or Kyrie that is a cultural problem...dude has been only professional. I think next season will likely be another treadmill season, so might as well get the most we can out of it (since we "can't" rebuild).

I probably hate Vuc's game more than almost anyone and I'd trade him for nothing if we could, but for similar reasons, I wouldn't waste an asset to trade him (not that you proposed that). Waiting a season on Vuc will turn him into an expiring that might be useful in a trade in a year.

[Axl Rose]

I'm curious to see what LeBron does if they're swept. Hard to imagine him wanting to stay, honestly. He's got the I want out of here body language that he gets every three seasons

I don't think LeBron wants to leave LA at all. The whole point of him going there was about post-career anyway. At this point i think he is mostly riding it out so he can play alongside his son (who LA will draft).

[DuckIII]

I'm curious to see what LeBron does if they're swept. Hard to imagine him wanting to stay, honestly. He's got the I want out of here body language that he gets every three seasons

I don't think LeBron wants to leave LA at all. The whole point of him going there was about post-career anyway. At this point i think he is mostly riding it out so he can play alongside his son (who LA will draft).

I agree. He’ll complain and take shots in the media/social media to try to get the franchise that works for him to do what he wants when he wants it, but not to the point he’ll leave. All indications are that LeBron has big plans and those begin with becoming the king of Los Angeles/Hollywood and then branching out from there.

The exception of course would be playing with his son.

[DropStep]

Someone mentioned what's the point of trading Zach if you're not getting equal value of production in return.

The whole point is to rid your team of an empty jersey and not to get value in return. The removal of Zach is better for the franchise and allows players like Ayo and Coby to play and develop more.

The only thing that would be better is if we could get Vuc gone as well.

AK man.

1) Vuc Trade
2) Ball Signing
3) Zach Extension

Just horrific.

I get your sentiment. I'll counter a little big. Heading into next year I am certain about 1 thing. We don't have our #1 or #2 option guys for the next version of the Bulls that contends. Regardless of the development of our young guys, none of them will be better than the 3rd (likely 4th) best guy on that team. As AK will not rebuild, IMO, we need to be greedy to get every ounce of value from any place we can. Selling at the absolute bottom on Zach may feel good, but playing him at least through the deadline (maybe all season) may get us an extra 1st round pick that I think it's silly to piss away. Zach isn't a Harden or Kyrie that is a cultural problem...dude has been only professional. I think next season will likely be another treadmill season, so might as well get the most we can out of it (since we "can't" rebuild).

Agree. We don't need to be clearing the runway for Ayo in particular (Go Illini). He is good enough to earn big minutes on his own as a flexible rotation/fringe starter guy, and only the dregs of the league are likely to give him more run than we will. But it remains unlikely that he will grow into part of a contending core.

We can't be prisoners of the moment with Zach. Not only was he one of the better volume scorers around the league just a couple of years ago, but he was seen by many as someone who got better every year. He was named an all-star in February of 2022. Our focus needs to be on trying to get him back to peak performance, not on trading him. If we "Justin Fields" this guy, and we get taken in a bad trade at the nadir of his value just to clear a runway for someone like Ayo (or to brighten Zach's mood), it will be a pretty big screwup. We should behave as if he's a star player on the mend for a while, and not a damaged item in a fire sale, and help him try to get back to an all-star level again over the first half of next season. There's no actual urgency to resolve this, there's little to lose, and Zach's value has way more upside than downside at the moment. The team will survive and recover from any pouting he does, and the things that have been leaked about his engagement and team presence have generally been positive lately. This will all be a memory soon enough, and all we will be left with long term is what we get in return for him.

Interesting volume scorer chart from 2022: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mHmaljYcuHmzrS9J_eJHLJxF4zEMGfQ5/view?usp=sharing

[MrSparkle]

I'll also be a bit confused if they sell Zach for a can of beans. If this surgery is successful and he rehabs, the logical/better course for 2025 and beyond is to S&T Demar for some younger scrubs, dump Vuc for a pack of cigarettes, waive or expire Lonzo... and honestly target a top-10 pick to beat that Spurs' protection.

Of course they will do the exact opposite. Dump Zach, resign Demar, keep Vuc and try to get Lonzo to play. Likely hand #11 to San Antonio.

One unfortunate thing about AK is his idea of a radical shake-up is changing some behind the scenes stuff. Need shooters? Hire a shooting coach and change the shooting profile. Underwhelming record? Fire the assistant coaches.

We need a new rehab guy now. He's gonna start working this offseason, on Lonzo's and Zach's knees.

[HomoSapien]

I don't have the Athletic, but this showed up on my FB feed. Sticking here since we were speaking about LeBron above and since Zach could be swapped out for DeRozan.

David Aldridge via The Athletic presented the following trade:

The Lakers Trade: LeBron James (turning 40)

The Bulls Trade: DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Patrick Williams.

I would also keep an eye on KD.

[Muzbar]

I don't have the Athletic, but this showed up on my FB feed. Sticking here since we were speaking about LeBron above and since Zach could be swapped out for DeRozan.

David Aldridge via The Athletic presented the following trade:

The Lakers Trade: LeBron James (turning 40)

The Bulls Trade: DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Patrick Williams.

I would also keep an eye on KD.

No to both, the Bulls shouldn't be targeting aging stars, they aren't contending, unless you count the play-in championship..

[Dan Z]

I don't have the Athletic, but this showed up on my FB feed. Sticking here since we were speaking about LeBron above and since Zach could be swapped out for DeRozan.

David Aldridge via The Athletic presented the following trade:

The Lakers Trade: LeBron James (turning 40)

The Bulls Trade: DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Patrick Williams.

I would also keep an eye on KD.

No to both, the Bulls shouldn't be targeting aging stars, they aren't contending, unless you count the play-in championship..

I agree and also don't know why LeBron would want to come here. If you do that trade he's now in a worse situation than he was in LA.. That's not exactly the best way to end his career.

[HomoSapien]

I don't have the Athletic, but this showed up on my FB feed. Sticking here since we were speaking about LeBron above and since Zach could be swapped out for DeRozan.



I would also keep an eye on KD.

No to both, the Bulls shouldn't be targeting aging stars, they aren't contending, unless you count the play-in championship..

I agree and also don't know why LeBron would want to come here. If you do that trade he's now in a worse situation than he was in LA.. That's not exactly the best way to end his career.

Again, want to clarify that this isn’t what I want but more so trying to guess the type of moves AKME might explore.

LeBron doesn’t have a no trade clause so he can’t veto. That said, I could see this team + LeBron being better than the current Lakers team. LeBron would benefit greatly playing next to a closer and DeRozan would help there.

[Dan Z]

No to both, the Bulls shouldn't be targeting aging stars, they aren't contending, unless you count the play-in championship..

I agree and also don't know why LeBron would want to come here. If you do that trade he's now in a worse situation than he was in LA.. That's not exactly the best way to end his career.

Again, want to clarify that this isn’t what I want but more so trying to guess the type of moves AKME might explore.

LeBron doesn’t have a no trade clause so he can’t veto. That said, I could see this team + LeBron being better than the current Lakers team. LeBron would benefit greatly playing next to a closer and DeRozan would help there.

He can't veto, but he can voice his opinion and I bet the Lakers would listen.

As for the team being better...that's debatable. AD, Lebron, Russell, Reaves, and Hachimura or Lebron, DDR, Coby, Ayo, and Vucevic.

I don't think it's a big enough difference for LA or Lebron to make the move, but it's interesting to discuss.

EDIT: I'd like to add that if these are the kind of moves that AK explores then that's another reason why the Bulls should get a new FO/GM.

[DuckIII]

I don't have the Athletic, but this showed up on my FB feed. Sticking here since we were speaking about LeBron above and since Zach could be swapped out for DeRozan.

David Aldridge via The Athletic presented the following trade:

The Lakers Trade: LeBron James (turning 40)

The Bulls Trade: DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Patrick Williams.

I would also keep an eye on KD.

The Lakers will never trade LeBron James to a team he does not want to be traded to, and LeBron James does not want to be traded to the Bulls or any other team that does not become an immediate contender by adding him.

[DuckIII]

As I’ve said, one of my concerns is that AK will look to trade Zach for Trae Young. Add Bradley Beal to that list.

[sco]

As I’ve said, one of my concerns is that AK will look to trade Zach for Trae Young. Add Bradley Beal to that list.

IDK, I'd much prefer those guys to pure expirings and bench-level talent, which is my expected outcome.

[League Circles]

I don't have the Athletic, but this showed up on my FB feed. Sticking here since we were speaking about LeBron above and since Zach could be swapped out for DeRozan.

David Aldridge via The Athletic presented the following trade:

The Lakers Trade: LeBron James (turning 40)

The Bulls Trade: DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Patrick Williams.

I would also keep an eye on KD.

The Lakers will never trade LeBron James to a team he does not want to be traded to, and LeBron James does not want to be traded to the Bulls or any other team that does not become an immediate contender by adding him.

Lebron will probably want to come here if we draft his son. I wouldn't use #11 on him (certainly without a handshake deal set up if even then), but perhaps we could get a later first rounder or a second or something and take his scrub son.

Lebron could be our best player for another several years quite easily.

[DuckIII]

I don't have the Athletic, but this showed up on my FB feed. Sticking here since we were speaking about LeBron above and since Zach could be swapped out for DeRozan.



I would also keep an eye on KD.

The Lakers will never trade LeBron James to a team he does not want to be traded to, and LeBron James does not want to be traded to the Bulls or any other team that does not become an immediate contender by adding him.

Lebron will probably want to come here if we draft his son. I wouldn't use #11 on him (certainly without a handshake deal set up if even then), but perhaps we could get a later first rounder or a second or something and take his scrub son.

Lebron could be our best player for another several years quite easily.

Us drafting Bronny to land LeBron so we can pimp the meaningless carnival tour would be such an appropriate way for this era to be remembered.

[League Circles]

The Lakers will never trade LeBron James to a team he does not want to be traded to, and LeBron James does not want to be traded to the Bulls or any other team that does not become an immediate contender by adding him.

Lebron will probably want to come here if we draft his son. I wouldn't use #11 on him (certainly without a handshake deal set up if even then), but perhaps we could get a later first rounder or a second or something and take his scrub son.

Lebron could be our best player for another several years quite easily.

Us drafting Bronny to land LeBron so we can pimp the meaningless carnival tour would be such an appropriate way for this era to be remembered.

Idk, I'd take a top 10 player for 2-3 years in a heartbeat and figure out the rest later.

The Lakers roster absolutely sucks outside Lebron and AD IMO. Depending on what we'd have to give for him, we could maybe contend for a while. Certainly have a good chance to at least be a 2nd round team, likely better than that. Which is WAY better than we project to otherwise be right now.