Potential Zach Trade Partners? 24/25 Edition

[ShouldaPaidBG]

You dont want Zach and Coby on the court together unless the 3 other guys are good defenders. They aren't. So it makes more sense to replace one with Ayo in any given (Giddey) lineup.

This is actually our only hope to semi tank next season. Form a terrible defensive lineup that doesn't work but they produce solid offensive numbers.

Ok I see the vision, I'm down. Let's keep him.

[DuckIII]

I really don't see the downside versus giving up a 1st round pick or two to dump him.

I’m opposed to giving up picks to dump him. But the downside is potentially losing our first next year.

On the one hand, it would definitely be wise when playing the odds to assume a top 10 pick this year will be better than a lesser first or even two in different drafts. I’m assuming protections better than top 8 if we attach even one first.

On the other hand, if Lavine stays, DDR leaves, and Vuc is traded or relegated to a role player, how good are we? How big of a risk is it, really?

Giddey/Ayo
Zach/Coby/Ayo
Coby/Pat/Ayo
Pat/Matas/Craig
Smith/Vuc/Matas (yeah, I said Matas)

With a deliberate emphasis on the youth, that bunch still loses. That team has 2 plus defenders. 2. It’s also not a very good three point shooting team at all. It has no superstars. It’s extremely young. And it’s a brand new mix with no chemistry.

I could easily see finishing in the bottom 10. That defense is atrocious.

So maybe Lavine isn’t that big a risk? But if he does help make that team play surprisingly well, the cost to us is brutal. Potentially franchise changing bad.

It’s a wild situation we’re in. Could be scary when the dust settles. Not good scary, bad scary.

If Zach Lavine is helping us to the point we're a team heading towards the playin, then the solution here is trade other pieces. Zach alone can't do it all which means other players are performing. As of now there is no franchise player on this roster. Sell high is the goal after years of selling low, buying high which has hindered this teams growth under AKME and GARPAX.

Coby White is a good example here of a potential sell high candidate for this season.

Good point. The problem is if it’s not Lavine you have to deal to ensure a top ten spot, I’m not sure the sell high guys - Coby and Ayo - lower the team’s ceiling adequately. We have a glut of guards if Lavine stays so losing one of Ayo and Coby, at least one of which would not be starting in this scenario, doesn’t seem like you could rely on it as a mini-tank move.

And that assumes Ball doesn’t play. Which is not a safe assumption right now.

It’s a complicated situation with Lavine on the roster.

[GoBlue72391]

Every year Lavine was the Bulls best player, they got a top 10 pick. Carter, White, Pat, Wagner. 4 years of ineptitude. I'm not worried about Lavine spoiling the Bulls pick. If he's the best guy on the team, the Bulls will be in the lottery.

Zach isn't cut out to be a team's best player, that's the problem. He's been a 1A or 1B for us when he needs to be a clear-cut 2 or 3. In a situation like that he would really shine.

[StephenAA]

Coby is obviously going to start. I'm confused why people would think differently.

The starting 5 is already clear. Coby-Lavine-Giddy-Pat-Vuc.

Coby was top guard on team last season.
Lavine makes $43 million.
Giddy is prize this summer and requested to be traded when he was benched.
Pat makes $18 million a year.
Vuc is incumbent vet center.

Ayo is 6th man. The team politics, the trajectory of guys careers, egos, and talent all play a role. But unless someone gets traded, I'd be shocked if that isn't the opening starting 5.

The reason why people are squabbling is that Giddey is a poor shooting PG. Your lineup is really Giddey-Coby-Lavine-Pat-Vuc.

I'm fine with that and the Bulls will likely go that way but starting the year off in a 3 guard lineup is going to cause some consternation.

*
Agreed. The starting line-up will be:

1. Coby (Ball getting 10-20 mpg)
2. Zach
3. Giddy
4. Pat
5. Vuc (with Jalen playing heavy minutes)

Ayo is 6th man...

I like it! Let's see what we have!
I think that's a 'play-in' team if not a 5th or 6th seed!
Consternation be damned!

AA

[FriedRise]

When he opted to get surgery, I always thought the earliest we can realistically move him is at the ‘24-25 deadline. He’ll have to play and prove that he can stay healthy before teams will even consider him.

Kinda surprised that they were willing to attach a pick to move on from his contract, but understandable if maybe they just want to start the season with a clean slate and focus on youth movement. Zach’s contract was fine when it was signed, but it’s become significantly difficult to move in the new CBA.

The league will either need to adjust the punishments for being a second apron team, or new salaries will need to substantially be reduced. It’ll make it incredibly difficult to contend as a small market team where they have to choose overpaying their players or being in the tax.

[sco]

When he opted to get surgery, I always thought the earliest we can realistically move him is at the ‘24-25 deadline. He’ll have to play and prove that he can stay healthy before teams will even consider him.

Kinda surprised that they were willing to attach a pick to move on from his contract, but understandable if maybe they just want to start the season with a clean slate and focus on youth movement. Zach’s contract was fine when it was signed, but it’s become significantly difficult to move in the new CBA.

The league will either need to adjust the punishments for being a second apron team, or new salaries will need to substantially be reduced. It’ll make it incredibly difficult to contend as a small market team where they have to choose overpaying their players or being in the tax.

I think the whole point of the second apron is to generate more parity by effectively cutting the number of MAX guys per team to two.

[FriedRise]

When he opted to get surgery, I always thought the earliest we can realistically move him is at the ‘24-25 deadline. He’ll have to play and prove that he can stay healthy before teams will even consider him.

Kinda surprised that they were willing to attach a pick to move on from his contract, but understandable if maybe they just want to start the season with a clean slate and focus on youth movement. Zach’s contract was fine when it was signed, but it’s become significantly difficult to move in the new CBA.

The league will either need to adjust the punishments for being a second apron team, or new salaries will need to substantially be reduced. It’ll make it incredibly difficult to contend as a small market team where they have to choose overpaying their players or being in the tax.

I think the whole point of the second apron is to generate more parity by effectively cutting the number of MAX guys per team to two.

Yeah exactly. I’m thinking of a contending small market team like OKC who has an MVP candidate in SGA but will need to choose to max either Chet or JW. SGA is on a decently value contract right now, but will need to get paid in a few years.

[BahamaBull]

i really hope we can trade Zach before the start of the next season...Seeing him coast like he did last season, with no passion for the game, is going to be tough.

ive always loved watching Zach play, but after his lackluster effort last year, I want him gone as soon as possible.

Hopefully Klutch and AKME can find someone to dump his salary ASAP.

[HomoSapien]

They also will continue their efforts to trade Zach LaVine---and now have two second-round picks to possibly attach as assets in that quest. Coincidentally, the Bulls and Kings held trade talks centered on LaVine before the DeRozan interest materialized.

From K.C.

https://www.nbcsportschicago.com/nba/chicago-bulls/bulls-news/demar-derozans-bulls-tenure-closes-with-trade/574786/

[chicago paxsons]

They also will continue their efforts to trade Zach LaVine---and now have two second-round picks to possibly attach as assets in that quest. Coincidentally, the Bulls and Kings held trade talks centered on LaVine before the DeRozan interest materialized.

From K.C.

https://www.nbcsportschicago.com/nba/chicago-bulls/bulls-news/demar-derozans-bulls-tenure-closes-with-trade/574786/

I'm glad akme are still focused on moving lavine instead of standing pat after the demar trade. I'd prefer moving on from the "big 3" before the season starts so this team can start fresh, but 2 out of 3 would be better than what i expected to happen.

[LateNight]

So how do we make this happen?

Underrated player at this point, but too much water under the bridge with the Bulls

[Chi town]

Lavine for DLO (18.6), Rui (17) Knecht (5) 41M

[Muzbar]

Lavine for DLO (18.6), Rui (17) Knecht (5) 41M

Lakers can't aggregate salary.

[Nate3carp]

Lavine for DLO (18.6), Rui (17) Knecht (5) 41M

Lakers can't aggregate salary.

Lebron taking a little less put them just under the 2nd apron, so they can aggregate salary. But they can’t bring in any more money in a trade, has to be for basically exactly even or less money or else they will trigger the apron and its penalties.

[Muzbar]

Lavine for DLO (18.6), Rui (17) Knecht (5) 41M

Lakers can't aggregate salary.

Lebron taking a little less put them just under the 2nd apron, so they can aggregate salary. But they can’t bring in any more money in a trade, has to be for basically exactly even or less money or else they will trigger the apron and its penalties.

Ah, so they are, come to think of it I do remember reading they were 45k under the tax line.

So Chi town's trade wouldn't work (they definitely wouldn't send Knecht for Zach) as they'd take on additional salary.

Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

[FriedRise]

Dunno how to make it work, but the Lakers have so far missed out on every free agent lol, very atypical for that team and especially one that has LeBron. Nobody wants to go there, so maybe their FO will get desperate enough to play ball.

[ChiefILL53]

Dunno how to make it work, but the Lakers have so far missed out on every free agent lol, very atypical for that team and especially one that has LeBron. Nobody wants to go there, so maybe their FO will get desperate enough to play ball.

LeBron is signing that max contract. Do the Lakers really have options to trade for one of the stars on the block? Particularly for Zach, I don't want DLo, but I'm not sure they have other pieces that would be worth it in a Zach trade either.

[PistolP]

I'm struggling to come up with a good trade partner for Zach

Sacramento just got DeRozan instead

Detroit seems to be taking it slow again with Langdon taking over and used up their cap space on Hardaway, Harris, Fontecchio and Beasley

Orlando never seemed interested and now has to plan for huge contracts for Wagner and Suggs

GSW seemingly passed on him already, added Hield, and it's hard to make a trade work now without gutting their depth. They might be a better dumping ground for Vuc later.

Most teams either don't need a SG or already have two MAX players

So with the dust settling on free agency and the Western Conference being stacked, the only somewhat realistic options I can think of are teams with older stars at risk of falling out of contention (Lakers, Clippers) or Utah (salary dump where Ainge gets draft capital, rehabs Zach's value, then dumps him for positive value later)

To Lakers: LaVine, Craig & 2 SRP ($46m)
To Bulls: Russell, Hachimura & Vanderbilt ($46m)

To Clippers: LaVine & 2 SRP ($43m)
To Bulls: Powell, Tucker, Hyland, Westbrook ($39m..would probably waive Tucker & Westbrook)

To Utah: LaVine & 2 SRP ($43m)
To Chicago: Collins ($26m) & TPE

[burlydee]

I predict Lavine is gone before camp. There are a couple of teams that have cap space and other teams that might want Zach, like the Lakers. He either goes in a salary dump or in a bad contract swap. It's pretty clear Bulls aren't going to attach a 1st beyond maybe Portland pick. If they take on salary, prefer young rotation pieces or a big. But the writing is on the wall. Zach won't be here to start the season

[The Force.]

AKME destroyed our chances of getting any real value for Zach. The fact that they can’t even flip him for a FRP is telling.

I say keep him, hope he boosts his value and wait for some desperate team to swoop in and save us at the deadline.