The Chicago Bulls reportedly called several teams regarding a potential trade involving Zach LaVine. One of the teams they called was the Houston Rockets and inquired about the availability of Jalen Green. However, the Bulls will have more difficulty to trade LaVine due to his injury.
In the latest episode of Yahoo! Sports’ “Good Word with Goodwill” podcast, Jake Fischer shared that the Bulls tried to offer LaVine to the Rockets for Green. However, Houston was not interested in having a more expensive version of their young scoring guard.
“They called Houston for something I believe around Jalen Green,” Fischer said. “And I don’t think the Rockets really wanted to upgrade Jalen Green with the mind of getting someone who is in theory a $50 million version of Jalen Green right now.”
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Jake Fischer also explained why the Chicago Bulls will have difficulty in trading Zach LaVine in the future. Fischer pointed out that LaVine’s salary and injury history would likely turn off potential trade partners. He added that the two-time All-Star’s track record in winning and defense are also factors in his potential deal.
LaVine is just in his second season of a five-year, $215 million deal he signed in the summer of 2022. He has a player option for the 2026-27 season, but he’s set to earn $43 million and $45 million in the next two years, respectively.
In addition to the Houston Rockets, LaVine has also been linked to the Atlanta Hawks, LA Lakers and Detroit Pistons. Fischer believes the Bulls will have to attach assets to LaVine for teams to have an interest in acquiring him.
Zach LaVine to miss the rest of the season
Zach LaVine was dealing with a foot issue that already ruled him out past the Feb. 8 trade deadline. LaVine was linked to several teams, but it seems like the Chicago Bulls are stuck with him until the offseason.
The Bulls recently announced that LaVine is set to miss the remainder of the season due to foot surgery. The two-time All-Star made the decision to go under the knife later this week along with the team’s medical team and his agency Klutch Sports Group.
LaVine is expected to be out for four to six months, but could be ready as early as June. The Bulls are currently in the play-in tournament spots, so it would take a miraculous run for them to reach the NBA Finals. Nevertheless, LaVine will remain in Chicago for the time being.
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