Bulls reportedly will look at Zach LaVine trade again this summer, but their window to do so may be closed

In pure basketball terms, the Zach LaVine era in Chicago should probably be over. LaVine has never won a playoff series as a Bull. This year’s team has a better record without him (21-19) than with him (10-15). Coby White has effectively replaced him as Chicago’s young, explosive scoring guard, and he’s owed roughly $113 million fewer over the the lives of their respective contracts.

All of this tracks with the reporting earlier this season that made it clear that Chicago explored LaVine trades leading up to the deadline. Nothing materialized. According to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, they will try to do so again this summer. The truth, though, is that the window to do so—at least without attaching significant assets to do so—is almost certainly closed.

If the foot injury that ended LaVine’s season was an isolated incident, his health might not scare off prospective suitors. Of course, it isn’t. He’s played 70 games once as a Bull. He has a torn ACL on his resume along with a lengthy history of minor issues.

He’s owed nearly $140 million over the next three seasons in an era in which the second apron has forced teams to become more cost-conscious. That’s a hefty sum even for a reliable two-way player. LaVine, at his best, has been an average defender. He’s often been worse, and if his health continues to be a problem, there’s no telling how much worse it could get. One-way stars have never been less valuable than they are now. LaVine is getting paid at the absolute top of his market.

All of this was more or less true a year ago. The Bulls stubbornly held onto LaVine as they have many veterans they ought to have traded by now. At that point, they might have at least been able to trade him at neutral value. For all of his flaws, LaVine is an All-Star-caliber scorer. In the right setting, that still means quite a bit.

But he’ll turn 30 next season. He probably isn’t a max player even at full strength, and full strength is a rarity for him. If the Bulls are going to trade him, it won’t be for anything especially helpful. The real question right now is whether or not they are willing to attach anything of note to do it.

LaVine has one of the worst contracts in basketball. White and Alex Caruso have two of the best. Pairing LaVine with one of them might help offset the cost concerns suitors might have. The Bulls are out one 2025 first-round pick to San Antonio. Might they be willing to dip further into their future draft pool just to rip off the LaVine band-aid?

There’s not a good answer here. The Bulls aren’t asset-rich enough to justify sacrificing picks. If they want to stay competitive, they won’t be able to do so without White and Caruso. The lesson here, as we see so often, is that’s better to trade a player too early than too late. The Bulls are far too late to make a LaVine trade that will salvage this era in their history.