With the Chicago Bulls trading Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan this offseason, the next name on the move should be Zach LaVine, right? Lavine’s name has been in trade rumors for the past season and a half. The two-time All-Star has averaged impressive numbers of 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists over the past five seasons with the Bulls. But despite the lofty numbers, no deal has materialized for the former two-time slam dunk champion. What has got teams so turned off by LaVine, and will he be moved?
Does No One Want Zach Lavine?
LaVine Can’t Stay Healthy
One reason why teams have been hesitant to trade for LaVine is due to his injury history. He played just 25 games last season having to get foot surgery mid-way through the season. This isn’t LaVine’s first lower leg injury and not his first surgery. Back in 2017, LaVine unfortunately tore his ACL since then the lower leg problems have pilled up. In 2021-22, he missed the end of the season for another knee surgery. Besides major surgeries, LaVine has dealt with many knick-knack injuries keeping him in and out of the lineup. Since the 2020-21 season, he has played an average of 56 games per season.
Lacks The Skills For The Bills
Lavine is a great scorer, being able to create his shot from deep or slash his way to the rack. Unfortunately, you have to bring more to the table than just scoring nowadays. LaVine lacks that secondary great skill you need to be elite. He’s not a great playmaker, rebounder, or defender. LaVine’s value comes solely from his scoring the rock. He is not a great mid-range player, getting his points from three or at the rim. Since dealing with constant lower leg injuries, LaVine’s rim attempts have steadily dropped in each of the last four seasons, reaching a career low this past season. As his rim attempts have fallen, so has his efficiency, reaching the lowest it has been in years at 45% from the field. Teams don’t want to give up a ton of assets for a pure scorer whose team played better without him this season.
The Contract
The biggest reason no team wants LaVine is due to how much he is owed. Lavine is going to be making $43, $45, and $48 million over the next three seasons with the last year being a player option. No team wants to be paying a 32-year-old Lavine $48 million. Maybe in the past Collective Bargain Agreement before the second apron. But with such a hard cap, teams are afraid to spend. LaVine at his best is the third-best player on a contender, $43-48 million for your third-best player is expensive. Any team that is trading for LaVine has to be 100% positive that he is the missing piece it’s going to take to get them over the hump. Zach LaVine is still a good player and could bounce back fully healthy next season. He is just another unfortunate casualty of the new CBA. As it stands now, LaVine will likely be back with the Bulls on opening night.