Zach LaVine has been on the trade block for quite some time now, but for one reason or another, the Chicago Bulls have never been able to find a suitor for the high-scoring wing. That’s due to a mix of injuries and a gigantic contract that’s particularly tough to move thanks to the new CBA, and even as LaVine has gotten on the court and produced for Chicago this year, rumblings about where he could end up have been minimal.
But on Tuesday, a report came out about a potential suitor for LaVine, and it sure does seem like it came from out of left field. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Denver Nuggets want players who can provide “significant help offensively,” with LaVine being a name of interest.
As a result, the Nuggets have either expressed interest in, or have had preliminary trade discussions on the following players: Chicago’s Zach Lavine, Washington’s Jordan Poole, Utah’s Jordan Clarkson, Atlanta’s De’Andre Hunter, Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson and Washington’s Jonas Valančiūnas.
League sources say the focus on LaVine in recent discussions is significant, with the Nuggets interested in the 29-year-old who is averaging 21.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists this season.
LaVine should always be able to score in bunches, and he’s managed to do that so far this year to the tune of 21.7 points per game on 50.1 percent shooting from the field and a career-best 42.8 percent shooting from deep — if there is one major weakness in Denver’s offense, it’s that they rank last in the league in three-point attempt rate, and LaVine would unquestionably help there. Of course, there are fair questions to ask about whether a backcourt of LaVine and Jamal Murray can guard anyone, but pairing those two with Nikola Jokic could lead to a pretty remarkable offensive trio.
As for what the Nuggets would have to give up, both logic and Amick’s reporting would lead you to believe that Michael Porter Jr. has to go to Chicago, where he would fit the team’s timetable a little better than LaVine, along with Zeke Nnaji as the likely second player to make the money work. If the Alex Caruso trade is any indication, the Bulls don’t covet draft capital as they look to make moves, which bodes especially well for Denver, which barely has anything in the war chest of assets.
