The Chicago Bulls fell to 4-8 with a 96-94 loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, but Zach LaVine said he won’t play with extra weight on his shoulders due to ongoing trade rumors, which are not new.
“I’ve had this message for three years,” he said. “This is not new to me. It’s a normal Wednesday.
He was asked about the rumors after Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Bulls and LaVine had both shown “increased openness” about the possibility of “exploring a trade.”
Charania listed the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers as possible suitors.
LaVine got off to a slow start in Wednesday’s game, but he was one of the reasons Chicago came back from a 17-point halftime deficit.
His 3-pointer with seven seconds left tied the score, although the Magic won thanks to a shot in the lane by Paolo Banchero at the other end.
Chicago doesn’t look like a real contender this season and will have to make some decisions soon regarding its future as DeMar DeRozan is playing on an expired contract.
Trading LaVine could help speed up what seems like an inevitable rebuild.
For now, he’ll continue to spread rumors that he’s apparently accustomed to at this stage of his career.
NBA Trade Rumors: Bulls Explore Zach LaVine Deal; Lakers, 76ers, Heat-bound
Zach LaVine’s time in the Windy City may be coming to an end.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, LaVine and the Chicago Bulls are “more open” to the idea of exploring a trade, adding that NBA teams are “exploring the availability” of the veteran guard.
Charania added on The Rally that the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers all had “a lot of interest.”
LaVine has been involved in numerous trade rumors before the start of the 2023-24 season. However, given Chicago’s disappointing 4-8 start to the year, the rumors seem to have run rampant.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Friday on NBA Today that “scouts are flocking to Bulls games because they realize the Bulls could dismantle this team at some point.”
According to K.C. The Bulls conducted “exploratory discussions” during the offseason with a focus on LaVine.
Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, who added Tuesday that “the players are very aware that changes could happen if the situation doesn’t improve.”
The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry also reported Tuesday that the Bulls “won’t have the same roster in a month.” Change seems imminent in Chicago.”
LaVine has been in Chicago since the 2017-18 season after starting his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Bulls have been mired in mediocrity since then, reaching the playoffs just once in that span.
The 76ers were already linked to LaVine following the trade that sent James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers.
But with the franchise leading the Eastern Conference with an 8-1 record, it’s unclear whether the Sixers are still open to making a deal for the veteran.
John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported Tuesday that the 76ers will “consider” acquiring LaVine, but that the franchise is “satisfied with the way the team is playing right now and would probably want to wait until the trade deadline before making an important exchange. “to take place.” if there are needs or injury problems.”
“They told me the Sixers like the depth they have now, and the Bulls’ high-salaried players might not be a good fit,” Clark added.
Despite Chicago’s struggles, LaVine is having a solid statistical season.
He averaged 21.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 11 games, while shooting 40.9 percent from the floor and 30.9 percent from deep.
With the season in full swing, it will be interesting to see where LaVine ends up if the Bulls decide to move on.
