RealGM

Say you're a consultant for each of these Western Conference teams (DEN, HOU, LAL, LAC) vying for the playoffs. The Chicago Bulls have approached each team with an offer of Lavine for an assortment of expirings and/or rotation/depth guys. Which of these trades for Lavine, if any, would you sign off on?

1. Murray/Naji/2027 FRP for Lavine/Craig (not sure what the draft compensation should be since Chicago is trading Lavine for an additional two years of Murray)

2. Jalen Green/Adams/Tate/Jeff Green for Lavine/Duarte

3. DLO/Rui/Christie/JHS for Lavine/Craig

4. Kawhi for Lavine/Craig

Assume a third team can be looped in to facilitate any of these deals. Would you advise any of these teams to make a deal for Lavine?

dcstanley wrote:Say you're a consultant for each of these Western Conference teams (DEN, HOU, GSW, LAL, LAC) vying for the playoffs. The Chicago Bulls have approached each team with an offer of Lavine for an assortment of expirings and/or rotation/depth guys. Which of these trades for Lavine, if any, would you sign off on?

1. Murray/Naji/2027 FRP/protected 2031 FRP for Lavine/Craig (not sure what the draft compensation should be since Chicago is trading Lavine for an additional two years of Murray)

2. Brooks/Landale/Green for Lavine/THT

3. Melton/GP2/Anderson/Hield/Kuminga for Lavine/THT

4. DLO/Rui/Christie/JHS for Lavine/Craig

5. Kawhi for Lavine/Craig

Assume a third team can be looped in to facilitate any of these deals. Would you advise any of these teams to make a deal for Lavine?

Chicago should take the GSW and run, but doubt the Warriors would consider it.

Houston trade is next best favorable and realistic (however don’t think Houston does this as well).

I’m not sure Lavine has the value you think he has.

Warriors couldn't do that deal and wouldn't if they could imo

Not against a Lavine for Green but it would have to be green,Tate, Adams, Jeff. Not giving up Dillon as well, they need him especially with Lavine. Imagine expiring contracts are nice for Chicago anyways

NW wrote:Warriors couldn't do that deal and wouldn't if they could imo

This is all post Dec. 15 when newly signed guys are available to be traded.

Magic_Johnny12 wrote:

dcstanley wrote:Say you're a consultant for each of these Western Conference teams (DEN, HOU, GSW, LAL, LAC) vying for the playoffs. The Chicago Bulls have approached each team with an offer of Lavine for an assortment of expirings and/or rotation/depth guys. Which of these trades for Lavine, if any, would you sign off on?

1. Murray/Naji/2027 FRP/protected 2031 FRP for Lavine/Craig (not sure what the draft compensation should be since Chicago is trading Lavine for an additional two years of Murray)

2. Brooks/Landale/Green for Lavine/THT

3. Melton/GP2/Anderson/Hield/Kuminga for Lavine/THT

4. DLO/Rui/Christie/JHS for Lavine/Craig

5. Kawhi for Lavine/Craig

Assume a third team can be looped in to facilitate any of these deals. Would you advise any of these teams to make a deal for Lavine?

Chicago should take the GSW and run, but doubt the Warriors would consider it.

Houston trade is next best favorable and realistic (however don’t think Houston does this as well).

I’m not sure Lavine has the value you think he has.

I don't think he has much value but which of these outgoing players do?

1. Lavine is having a much better season than Murray who has been struggling with his efficiency for roughly a year now
2. Landale and Green are non rotation guys, trade is essentially Brooks for Lavine
3. The LAL guys have no value
4. Kawhi is a bit of an extreme trade but could you blame LAC for being done with the Kawhi experience?
5. The Warriors trade is probably the worst, I agree. I guess the idea is that GSW consolidates some rotation guys for a bonafide second option.

dcstanley wrote:

NW wrote:Warriors couldn't do that deal and wouldn't if they could imo

This is all post Dec. 15 when newly signed guys are available to be traded.

Magic_Johnny12 wrote:

dcstanley wrote:Say you're a consultant for each of these Western Conference teams (DEN, HOU, GSW, LAL, LAC) vying for the playoffs. The Chicago Bulls have approached each team with an offer of Lavine for an assortment of expirings and/or rotation/depth guys. Which of these trades for Lavine, if any, would you sign off on?

1. Murray/Naji/2027 FRP/protected 2031 FRP for Lavine/Craig (not sure what the draft compensation should be since Chicago is trading Lavine for an additional two years of Murray)

2. Brooks/Landale/Green for Lavine/THT

3. Melton/GP2/Anderson/Hield/Kuminga for Lavine/THT

4. DLO/Rui/Christie/JHS for Lavine/Craig

5. Kawhi for Lavine/Craig

Assume a third team can be looped in to facilitate any of these deals. Would you advise any of these teams to make a deal for Lavine?

Chicago should take the GSW and run, but doubt the Warriors would consider it.

Houston trade is next best favorable and realistic (however don’t think Houston does this as well).

I’m not sure Lavine has the value you think he has.

I don't think he has much value but which of these outgoing players do?

1. Lavine is having a much better season than Murray who has been struggling with his efficiency for roughly a year now
2. Landale and Green are non rotation guys, trade is essentially Brooks for Lavine
3. The LAL guys have no value
4. Kawhi is a bit of an extreme trade but could you blame LAC for being done with the Kawhi experience?
5. The Warriors trade is probably the worst, I agree. I guess the idea is that GSW consolidates some rotation guys for a bonafide second option.

Trade puts GS way under the roster minimum with no room under the apron to fill those roster spots land that's before looking at the fit of Levine on the team

NW wrote:

dcstanley wrote:

NW wrote:Warriors couldn't do that deal and wouldn't if they could imo

This is all post Dec. 15 when newly signed guys are available to be traded.

Magic_Johnny12 wrote:
Chicago should take the GSW and run, but doubt the Warriors would consider it.

Houston trade is next best favorable and realistic (however don’t think Houston does this as well).

I’m not sure Lavine has the value you think he has.

I don't think he has much value but which of these outgoing players do?

1. Lavine is having a much better season than Murray who has been struggling with his efficiency for roughly a year now
2. Landale and Green are non rotation guys, trade is essentially Brooks for Lavine
3. The LAL guys have no value
4. Kawhi is a bit of an extreme trade but could you blame LAC for being done with the Kawhi experience?
5. The Warriors trade is probably the worst, I agree. I guess the idea is that GSW consolidates some rotation guys for a bonafide second option.

Trade puts GS way under the roster minimum with no room under the apron to fill those roster spots land that's before looking at the fit of Levine on the team

Fair enough. Removed them!

K_chile22 wrote:Not against a Lavine for Green but it would have to be green,Tate, Adams, Jeff. Not giving up Dillon as well, they need him especially with Lavine. Imagine expiring contracts are nice for Chicago anyways

Yeah this deal makes much more sense. Included it in the OP.

Murray can't be traded until after the deadline so #1 is an impossibility

dcstanley wrote:

NW wrote:

dcstanley wrote:This is all post Dec. 15 when newly signed guys are available to be traded.


I don't think he has much value but which of these outgoing players do?

1. Lavine is having a much better season than Murray who has been struggling with his efficiency for roughly a year now
2. Landale and Green are non rotation guys, trade is essentially Brooks for Lavine
3. The LAL guys have no value
4. Kawhi is a bit of an extreme trade but could you blame LAC for being done with the Kawhi experience?
5. The Warriors trade is probably the worst, I agree. I guess the idea is that GSW consolidates some rotation guys for a bonafide second option.

Trade puts GS way under the roster minimum with no room under the apron to fill those roster spots land that's before looking at the fit of Levine on the team

Fair enough. Removed them!

K_chile22 wrote:Not against a Lavine for Green but it would have to be green,Tate, Adams, Jeff. Not giving up Dillon as well, they need him especially with Lavine. Imagine expiring contracts are nice for Chicago anyways

Yeah this deal makes much more sense. Included it in the OP.

Yup, should work $$ wise even with the extension but it's close, if it doesn't it's still probably doable with a third team getting Tate or something. Adams or Jeff for a smaller salary from team 3 also works if they need that. Should be easy to fix if they need to

Lavine is a negative contract.

Maybe the LAL deal could work. Any of the others CHI would be laughed off the phone.

JRoy wrote:Lavine is a negative contract.

Maybe the LAL deal could work. Any of the others CHI would be laughed off the phone.

Agree. The LAL one is the only one that I could see…and if I was the Lakers I would t be interested, but maybe LABron would be?
Lavine is really really really far down the list when you look at any advanced impact metrics…then add that contract in. You probably need to give up a fair bit to move him.

I think Clips would've been interested but don't have the salaries to match. No I do not see them trading Kawhi. Their roster is built around him so all they can do is hold on and hope he's back healthy heading into the playoffs. They have limited assets but do see them trying to make a deal to add another scorer on a smaller contract.

The Bulls:

consider #1 but might need anther pick because Murray's contract makes Lavine's look nice. Then only if they see Murray as a true floor leader who as time moves on makes White, Williams, Dosunmu, Smith, Buzelis into better players.

do #2 because it accomplishes the money saving goal they had. They guaranteed have to be trading Vucevic, Jeff Green gives Phillips and Buzelis a year to watch and learn from a pro, Jalen Green has to grow into that contract and push Dosunmu into a trade and make White the 6th man with Lonzo Ball still around at least with Carter, THT excess

#3 is the same tired old Laker offer, the Bulls end up with TOO MANY GUARDS count them up Giddey, White, Dosunmu, Ball, Carter,THT, DLo, JHS, Christie, can you count?

#4 flat out NO

Clips would not do the Lavine for Kawhi trade. Even in street clothes, Kawhi sells far more tickets than Lavine.

No doubt Clippers will want to see how Kawhi gels with the new Clipper squad first.

Lavine, at his best, has barely been a neutral value player on the court.

In addition to that, he is injury prone, and has a bloated contract, with the dreaded player option to boot.

Its nice that he has had a good start to the season with excellent efficiency, but we know who he is as a player, and this small sample is not it.

No interest from Houston's standpoint.

Lavine is a lateral move and he doesn't even fit the timeline of the Rockets core. We are talking about a guy that doesn't play defense and is going to be a better scorer than Jalen Green, but is on a bloated contract and he's injury prone. That makes no sense. Ime might not even play him given his defense.

Shock Defeat wrote:Lavine is a lateral move and he doesn't even fit the timeline of the Rockets core. We are talking about a guy that doesn't play defense and is going to be a better scorer than Jalen Green, but is on a bloated contract and he's injury prone. That makes no sense. Ime might not even play him given his defense.

He is no worse on defense than Jalen who is about to be on a bloated contract himself. The real concern I have with Lavine is he may not be benchable in close games like they've been doing to Jalen

K_chile22 wrote:He is no worse on defense than Jalen who is about to be on a bloated contract himself. The real concern I have with Lavine is he may not be benchable in close games like they've been doing to Jalen

Lavine is absolutely worse on defense then Jalen.

It's why he is a net negative on the court.

LarsV8 wrote:Lavine, at his best, has barely been a neutral value player on the court.

In addition to that, he is injury prone, and has a bloated contract, with the dreaded player option to boot.

Its nice that he has had a good start to the season with excellent efficiency, but we know who he is as a player, and this small sample is not it.

No interest from Houston's standpoint.

His efficiency averaged out over the last 5 years has been excellent?

His defense, attitude, injuries, okay. But to infer he’s not normally efficient is wrong.

Talking about “barely neutral value” I don’t see why Bulls would have any interest in Jalen on his deal. White’s a better version of Jalen as is, why exactly do they want to flip a better player on a shorter contract in LaVine into Jalen with his PO? To save a little bit of money the next two seasons? To get a better but still mediocre defender who’s much worse on offense?

I try to stay out of LaVine trade discussions because I feel they're often far too hyperbolic.

This nice start to the season is more in-line with who LaVine is and has been as a player than not.

2020-21: 63.4% TS% | 27.4 ppg | played in 80% of games. Missed 11 games with Covid.
2021-22: 60.5% TS% | 24.4 ppg | played in 82% of games.
2022-23: 60.7% TS% | 24.8 ppg | played in 94% of games.
2023-24: 57.8% TS% | 19.5 ppg | played in 30% of games
2024-25: 64.8% TS% | 22.4 ppg | has played in 85% of games

Who is Zach LaVine?

The last 5 years would suggest he is:

not injury prone (even if you go back to 2019-20 he played in 92% of games, in 2018-19 he played in 77% of games which included the Bulls sitting him for the last 10 games due to tanking reasons).

That's a 7 year sample where he's only missed significant time once. Yet he can't shake the injury prone designation.

Zach's scoring is elite. I'ts not good, it's not very good, it's elite. Go ahead and look up how many guards are scoring 20+ points on 60+ TS% every year. Spoiler alert - the list is small.

In fact only two players accomplished this in the entire NBA from 2020-2023 - Zach Lavine and Steph Curry.

Zach is a good on-ball defender.

Zach is a bad off-ball defender and lacks defensive awareness.

Zach can be turnover prone - it seems to be a streaky thing more than a consistent issue, but on nights when it's bad it can be really bad.

Zach is not a perfect player. He does have flaws. We don't need to discredit the things he is good at however.



All of the packages proposed in this thread would be wins for the team acquiring Zach.

LaVine will probably be named an All-star this season. The opportunity to buy low on him is fading with every game.


Edit:

I also want to add that his attitude - during his entire tenure in Chicago - which has included bad front offices, terrible coaches, and poorly constructed rosters has only ever been excellent.

Zach is a pro. On and off the court.