The NBA trade market is rife with speculation about players that the Chicago Bulls could trade away, but what about them pivoting to another superstar in the NBA, one that may want to play for them? With Zach LaVine reportedly available on the trade market, the Bulls could try and flip LaVine for a future cornerstone, one who is on the New Orleans Pelicans.
With Zion Williamson’s recent video discussing a possible future with the Bulls, it’d be interesting to look at possible ways for that to happen via trade in today’s NBA. It’s not easy to find a deal that could work for everyone, but the Miami Heat could swoop in and land Zach LaVine to make this deal a reality.
Trade Details:
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Nikola Jovic, 2026 First-Round Pick (CHI), 2027 First-Round Pick (MIA), 2028 First-Round Pick (CHI)
Miami Heat Receive: Zach LaVine, Larry Nance Jr.
Chicago Bulls: Zion Williamson, Kira Lewis Jr.
With Zion looking healthy and delivering on the court, this may be the perfect time for a previously disgruntled Pelicans front office to move on from him, with a haul of draft assets and valuable young players. The Heat adds a bonafide scorer along with a versatile big man, while the Bulls get their first star since Jimmy Butler.
The Pelicans Re-Focus Their Winning Strategy
The Pelicans have started the season inconsistently, dealing with various injuries to role-players across the roster. Zion has been healthy and available, averaging 22.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.9 assists. Along with the fantastic performances of Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans do have a future as a contender in the NBA. But with the known fragility of Zion and the Pelicans front office dissatisfaction with him, if there was ever a time they could move him for a strong return, it’s now.
Tyler Herro was averaging 22.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists before an ankle injury ruled him out, but he is a few weeks away from a return. The Heat won without him in the playoffs and have a record of 7-5 since he got hurt, meaning the team could see that Herro isn’t integral to their winning habits. The Pelicans can benefit from the young star’s proven scoring ability by creating an offensive trio of Herro, CJ McCollum, and Brandon Ingram.
Duncan Robinson adds a floor-spacing option on a lethal outside shooting team, who’ll have two combo guards running the show. Herro has shown flashes of defensive improvement with his size and could develop that skill into becoming a primary option for the Pelicans. Along with the picks, it keeps the Pelicans’ future bright, especially with strong defenders across the roster such as Trey Murphy III, Dyson Daniels, and Herb Jones.
The Miami Heat Get The Offensive Star They Needed
The Heat are consistently one of the hardest teams to beat in the NBA, and they do this without being a leading offense in the NBA. They have gritty offensive options like Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, but neither player can get consistent buckets, especially through the 82-game grind of the regular season. That is one of Zach LaVine’s specialties and would add another dimension to the Heat’s relatively stagnant offense.
LaVine is averaging 21.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists right now, and his effort has been questioned since his trade request. If a trade to Miami re-energizes LaVine and forces him to adapt to Heat Culture, we could see flashes of the defender we saw through the first few months of the 2021-22 season when the Bulls were among the best teams in the league, with LaVine playing his role behind defenders like Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.
Larry Nance Jr. adds a multi-faceted big man to the Heat’s rotation who won’t have to depend on Kevin Love’s production in the frontcourt. Nance can play backup to Adebayo in small-ball lineups or be the power forward next to him. He’s averaging 3.5 points and 4.1 rebounds this season but is a proven defender who can occasionally stretch the floor as well.
The Bulls Shock The World
With the recent video of Zion discussing playing in Chicago and Giannis Antetokounmpo previously saying he wants to one day play for the Bulls, it’s clear that the franchise still has an allure to stars around the league. Chicago is a massive media market and was the home of Michael Jordan in the NBA, so the allure may never wash off, even with on-court struggles. As a result, instead of accepting their fate as a bottom-of-the-barrel East team for the foreseeable future while rebuilding, they can push their chips in the middle for Zion Williamson.
The Bulls will have to be careful with Zion’s injury concerns, but it’s clear the franchise has been avoiding tanking after giving their fans very little on-court success in the last seven to eight seasons. Pivoting to acquiring Zion, a player once hailed as the future face of the NBA, would be an incredible move. Their lackluster roster means they can use the assets the Heat would theoretically send for LaVine and pepper it with additional draft picks for New Orleans.
The team could see out the season with DeMar DeRozan and hope that the team can make a playoff run, but they likely move on from DeMar for a starting point guard caliber player, though adding Kira Lewis Jr. could be a long-term bet that pays off. Nikola Vucevic would fit well next to Zion but may raise defensive questions as he gets older. Acquiring Zion gives the Bulls the one piece they can definitively build around.
This Trade Would Shakeup The NBA
Zion getting moved would be one of the biggest trades we’ve seen in recent years, but the destination being the Bulls is something not many anticipated. This trade does lurk in the realm of unlikely but could be an unconventional way to get three teams to move forward in the league. The Pelicans have a very talented young roster and consolidating assets for a major win-now move without someone as injury-prone and inconsistent as Zion would be a step forward.
The Heat would need to address their depth at point guard behind Kyle Lowry, with Lowry’s salary potentially being used with a pick to consolidate a two-for-one deal to bolster their depth. The Miami would have roster concerns to address, but it gives them a secondary option behind Butler who could thrive in that role and this setting at this stage of his career. LaVine could be the piece that vaults them from the middle of the pack to being a front-runner in the East.
The Bulls would be in step one of a roster reshuffle if they make this deal, but they’re well-equipped to make more changes to field a genuine contender in 2024-25. Maybe Lonzo Ball does return next season and reform his highlight reel partnership with Zion in a Bulls resurgence that people wouldn’t have expected.
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