The Chicago Bulls sit 12th in the Eastern Conference after a 4-7 start to the 2023-24 NBA season and changes could be on the horizon.
That is according to prominent NBA insider Shams Charania, who reported on The Athletic that rival teams are “probing the availability” of guard Zach LaVine.
Crucially, Charania added there is “increased openness” from the Bulls and LaVine about exploring a trade.
This season shaped as a particularly important one in the future of Chicago’s ‘big three’ of LaVine, DeMar Dorzan and Nikola Vucevic after two years of underwhelming results.
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The Bulls were yet to take a genuine step towards title contention with the star trio leading the way and had a chance to look at making changes before last year’s trade deadline.
Instead, Chicago stood pat and put its faith in LaVine and co. to turn it around this season.
Early results though suggest another year of disappointment is on the card and this time around that could actually lead to changes before the deadline (February 8, 3pm ET).
Charania also reported that DeRozan’s future in Chicago is “uncertain”, although he added that league sources claim the Bulls “would like” to bring him back.
“They’ve been talking about an extension, but I’m told that the sides are apart right now on multiple fronts — years, salary,” Charania said of DeRozan, who is on an expiring contract, on FanDuel TV late last month.
“And also, DeMar DeRozan wants to see where this Bulls team goes. They had a players meeting after game one of the season, and so that’s not the way to start the year.”
Wednesday’s news comes after ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported last week that rival teams had been watching the Bulls closely this season given the potential they could become sellers.
“In talking to some people around the league, the scouts are jamming themselves into Bulls games because they realise that at some point, the Bulls may break this team up,” Windhorst said on ‘NBA Today’.
“They’re all gathering intelligence like, ‘What’s going to happen with the Bulls?’”
As for which teams could potentially be inquiring about LaVine’s availability in a trade, the Philadelphia 76ers are an obvious candidate after moving James Harden to the Clippers.
It was always expected that the Sixers would at some point trade for another top-tier talent to add alongside Joel Embiid and breakout guard Tyrese Maxey.
Maxey’s rapid rise though has bought Philadelphia some time and also raises the question as to whether the Sixers need another dominant ball-handler or could be better served adding high-level role players to build around Embiid and Maxey instead.
LaVine, who is in the second season of a five-year, $215 million ($A330m) maximum contract, has been averaging 21.9 points, 3.0 assists, and 4.8 rebounds this season.