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This is pulling together a bunch of disparate pieces from teams needing to complete their off-seasons to align with strategies and ambitions.

Chicago trades:

Zach Lavine
2025 Portland 1st - lottery protected until 2028, then two seconds

Chicago receives:

CJ McCollum
Gabe Vincent

The Bulls do this to cut salary obliagions to Zach Lavine'. They entirely remove a $48 million obligation in 2026-27 due to both McCollum and Vincent's deals expiring in 2026.

LAL trade:

Rui Hachimura
D'Angelo Russell
Gabe Vincent

LA recceives:

Zach Lavine
Kris Murray

LA gets themselves a third star and one who has been an excellent 3 point shooter. This obviously presumes that he has a clean bill of health. The Lakers retain their draft capital as well which they can package, if needed, for additional reinforcements

New Orleans trades:

CJ McCollum

New Orleans receives:

DeAndre Ayton

The Pelicans trade a superfluos guard for a starting center without having to give up any additional assets.

Portland trades:

DeAndre Ayton
Kris Murray

Portland receives:

Rui Hachimura
D'Angelo Russsell
own pick returned from Chicago

Portland clear up its center rotation to get Clingan some playing time and takes a flier on Hachimura. With D'Angelo being an ending contract they also clear $18,692,307 from their cap at the end of the salary year.

No thanks. Not sure he's an offensive upgrade over D'Lo (or even healthy) and he'll give the same problems defensively. And he's the most overpaid player in the league.

I quite like this. Lavine makes a lot of sense in LA given how he plays and that LBJ has two years left.

I anticipate that NO fans would prefer to keep McCollum (and perhaps just prefer not to receive Ayton).

DanishLakerFan wrote:No thanks. Not sure he's an offensive upgrade over D'Lo (or even healthy) and he'll give the same problems defensively. And he's the most overpaid player in the league.

Lavine gets a lot of hate on this board but he’s an excellent basketball player. He’s a good shooter, he’s got handles and he’s an excellent decision maker. He was also an above average defender this last season before he got hurt and is a clear defensive upgrade over d-lo.

Lavine playing off-ball with LBJ and AD would be great to watch. Lavine is a great off-ball cutter and I’m not sure there’s a better player to make use of that than LBJ.

jarryd3107 wrote:

DanishLakerFan wrote:No thanks. Not sure he's an offensive upgrade over D'Lo (or even healthy) and he'll give the same problems defensively. And he's the most overpaid player in the league.

Lavine gets a lot of hate on this board but he’s an excellent basketball player. He’s a good shooter, he’s got handles and he’s an excellent decision maker. He was also an above average defender this last season before he got hurt and is a clear defensive upgrade over d-lo.

Lavine playing off-ball with LBJ and AD would be great to watch. Lavine is a great off-ball cutter and I’m not sure there’s a better player to make use of that than LBJ.

He's a great offensive player, but he dropped off a bit last season and wasn't any better than D'Lo offensively. As for his defense he's always been horrible and there's no reason to think that's changed. And i dont think the stats back that up either, although it may look like it based on the eye test.
And he's owed a **** of money.

I don’t like this for POR.

No issue with moving Ayton, hope to do better than this.

DLo and Simons together would be enough for me to stop watching the nba.

This is so awful for the Bulls you can't understand why they're in it.

Look at Gabe Vincent and Jevon Carter, they're like twins except Vincent makes $5M more than Carter who isn't even in the rotation.

CJM only saves the Bulls about $8M and then one year down the road and he and Vincent don't just maintain the overload the Bulls have at guard already they make it worse. Giddey, White and Dosunmu are signed, younger and who the Bulls are looking for to keep around. Why bring in CJ who is even OLDER than Lavine and almost as injury prone.

DanishLakerFan wrote:

jarryd3107 wrote:

DanishLakerFan wrote:No thanks. Not sure he's an offensive upgrade over D'Lo (or even healthy) and he'll give the same problems defensively. And he's the most overpaid player in the league.

Lavine gets a lot of hate on this board but he’s an excellent basketball player. He’s a good shooter, he’s got handles and he’s an excellent decision maker. He was also an above average defender this last season before he got hurt and is a clear defensive upgrade over d-lo.

Lavine playing off-ball with LBJ and AD would be great to watch. Lavine is a great off-ball cutter and I’m not sure there’s a better player to make use of that than LBJ.

He's a great offensive player, but he dropped off a bit last season and wasn't any better than D'Lo offensively. As for his defense he's always been horrible and there's no reason to think that's changed. And i dont think the stats back that up either, although it may look like it based on the eye test.
And he's owed a **** of money.

He’s actually not horrible on defense. He’s below average when off ball and above average when on ball. Read this for a bit more info.

https://theswishtheory.com/nba/2024/06/zach-lavine-the-wages-of-perception/

$40m per isn’t actually that much these days, especially considering it comes at the cost of dlo and hachimura. Lavine would be a ~$50m expiring in the season after LBJ’s deal runs out.

The offensive fit of Lavine playing off ball with LBJ and AD is enticing enough for the lakers to think about this.

ChettheJet wrote:This is so awful for the Bulls you can't understand why they're in it.

Look at Gabe Vincent and Jevon Carter, they're like twins except Vincent makes $5M more than Carter who isn't even in the rotation.

CJM only saves the Bulls about $8M and then one year down the road and he and Vincent don't just maintain the overload the Bulls have at guard already they make it worse. Giddey, White and Dosunmu are signed, younger and who the Bulls are looking for to keep around. Why bring in CJ who is even OLDER than Lavine and almost as injury prone.

Getting off Lavine is worth taking on McCollum, who could be rerouted to a contender for picks and/or assets anyway.

I can’t believe this needs to be said but the decision to get off Lavine does not hinge on whether Vincent fits with Carter.

JRoy wrote:I don’t like this for POR.

No issue with moving Ayton, hope to do better than this.

DLo and Simons together would be enough for me to stop watching the nba.

I imagine Portland would be happy to buy-out Russell and let him go elsewhere.

Personally I really want to clear up the center log-jam and get that pick unencumbered.

Village Idiot wrote:

JRoy wrote:I don’t like this for POR.

No issue with moving Ayton, hope to do better than this.

DLo and Simons together would be enough for me to stop watching the nba.

I imagine Portland would be happy to buy-out Russell and let him go elsewhere.

Personally I really want to clear up the center log-jam and get that pick unencumbered.

I get it, I’m just not convinced there is a logjam at C.

Ayton is starting for now, Clingan will get solid minutes from the bench, Reath is a 3rd string talent who will play sparingly and Williams will be injured.

jarryd3107 wrote:

DanishLakerFan wrote:

jarryd3107 wrote:
Lavine gets a lot of hate on this board but he’s an excellent basketball player. He’s a good shooter, he’s got handles and he’s an excellent decision maker. He was also an above average defender this last season before he got hurt and is a clear defensive upgrade over d-lo.

Lavine playing off-ball with LBJ and AD would be great to watch. Lavine is a great off-ball cutter and I’m not sure there’s a better player to make use of that than LBJ.

He's a great offensive player, but he dropped off a bit last season and wasn't any better than D'Lo offensively. As for his defense he's always been horrible and there's no reason to think that's changed. And i dont think the stats back that up either, although it may look like it based on the eye test.
And he's owed a **** of money.

He’s actually not horrible on defense. He’s below average when off ball and above average when on ball. Read this for a bit more info.

https://theswishtheory.com/nba/2024/06/zach-lavine-the-wages-of-perception/

$40m per isn’t actually that much these days, especially considering it comes at the cost of dlo and hachimura. Lavine would be a ~$50m expiring in the season after LBJ’s deal runs out.

The offensive fit of Lavine playing off ball with LBJ and AD is enticing enough for the lakers to think about this.

The LaVine trade saga has gone on so long that people talk about Zach like he's a total bum, as if efficient 25 ppg scorers grow on trees and don't get paid big money simply to score points.

He does make total sense for the Lakers and would be the best guard LeBron has played with since Cleveland, but I don't think the Bulls are willing to trade him for what LA can offer, which is why we're seeing these increasingly complicated multi-team deals proposed, that still don't address any of the Bulls' actual roster needs, just the "dump Lavine contract" thing that isn't even an actual need. Playing with Giddey running the offense would be similar to playing with LBJ in that they're both great at finding open shooters, and LaVine is one of the most athletic 40% 3 point shooters in the league, provided his knees aren't Jello after all the surgeries.

There's a reason no one wants the guy and the market is non-existent/barren according to Woj.

He's flashy on one end but your team doesn't win when he's your guy. Lonzo and Caruso were far better in that regard.

Keep him for gods sake.

I feel like if all it took was a lottery protected 1st for the Bulls to move off of Lavine, it would’ve been done already and they would’ve resigned Derozan.

Easy yes for me from the Portland POV. Doubt NOP (or anybody) wants Ayton.

meekrab wrote:

jarryd3107 wrote:

DanishLakerFan wrote:
He's a great offensive player, but he dropped off a bit last season and wasn't any better than D'Lo offensively. As for his defense he's always been horrible and there's no reason to think that's changed. And i dont think the stats back that up either, although it may look like it based on the eye test.
And he's owed a **** of money.

He’s actually not horrible on defense. He’s below average when off ball and above average when on ball. Read this for a bit more info.

https://theswishtheory.com/nba/2024/06/zach-lavine-the-wages-of-perception/

$40m per isn’t actually that much these days, especially considering it comes at the cost of dlo and hachimura. Lavine would be a ~$50m expiring in the season after LBJ’s deal runs out.

The offensive fit of Lavine playing off ball with LBJ and AD is enticing enough for the lakers to think about this.

The LaVine trade saga has gone on so long that people talk about Zach like he's a total bum, as if efficient 25 ppg scorers grow on trees and don't get paid big money simply to score points.

He does make total sense for the Lakers and would be the best guard LeBron has played with since Cleveland, but I don't think the Bulls are willing to trade him for what LA can offer, which is why we're seeing these increasingly complicated multi-team deals proposed, that still don't address any of the Bulls' actual roster needs, just the "dump Lavine contract" thing that isn't even an actual need. Playing with Giddey running the offense would be similar to playing with LBJ in that they're both great at finding open shooters, and LaVine is one of the most athletic 40% 3 point shooters in the league, provided his knees aren't Jello after all the surgeries.

I agree on all points. Best bet now is that he plays well in Chicago and rebuilds some trade value.

Bulls could be cut out..


Lakers get CJ+Reath

Pelicans get Ayton

Blazers get DLo+Rui+pick

zimpy27 wrote:Bulls could be cut out..


Lakers get CJ+Reath

Pelicans get Ayton

Blazers get DLo+Rui+pick

who is sending that pick to blazers

Godaddycurse wrote:

zimpy27 wrote:Bulls could be cut out..


Lakers get CJ+Reath

Pelicans get Ayton

Blazers get DLo+Rui+pick

who is sending that pick to blazers

Don't know, what would be fair?

zimpy27 wrote:

Godaddycurse wrote:

zimpy27 wrote:Bulls could be cut out..


Lakers get CJ+Reath

Pelicans get Ayton

Blazers get DLo+Rui+pick

who is sending that pick to blazers

Don't know, what would be fair?

Heck, it's fair without a pick.