Zach Lavine Is Gone, and What’s Next for the Chicago Bulls

(Gary A. Vasquez / Imagn Images)

I will this article with some good news and some bad news.

The good: the Chicago Bulls have finally made a move that indicates they’re moving towards a full rebuild!

The bad: they got a somewhat underwhelming deal for a longtime coveted superstar of theirs.

Zach Lavine, the franchise’s centerpiece since acquiring him from Minnesota in 2017, is heading to Sacramento in a three-team deal. This trade also sends De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio amongst a myriad of other players and scattered draft picks. While Lavine will reunite former Bulls teammate DeMar DeRozan as the Kings begin a new era, the Bulls remaining roster will combine with some fresh faces to begin a new chapter of their own.

 

The Trade Return

Chicago’s haul in the deal includes point guard Tre Jones, big man Zach Collins, and sharpshooter Kevin Huerter. The Bulls also receive their own 2025 first-round pick back from the Spurs. At first glance, it’s really not all that bad of a return for Lavine. 

Tre Jones

Let’s start with Jones. If the reports of the Bulls’ current shopping starter, Lonzo Ball, are true, Jones would be Ball’s heir apparent in the position. Jones is certainly a formidable backup when compared to Ball, but his season averages of 4.4 points and 3.7 assists per game leave a lot to be desired. Still, though, if the Bulls are going to be serious about a rebuild, it’s players like the 25-year-old Jones who they’ll look to develop into an impactful veteran down the line.

Zach Collins

Collins is a 6’11’’ former lottery pick who has taken a step back in a reduced role with the Spurs this season. He’s likely not the ideal candidate to be a part of a rebuild. Collins is under contract for $18 million next season, which is a large chunk of change to throw at an underperforming big man who has missed significant time previously with stress fractures in his feet. Whether the Bulls choose to build something with Collins or also dump him for future assets will remain to be seen. 

Kevin Huerter

Finally, we get to Kevin Huerter, whose sharpshooting prowess has been called into question this season as he sits barely above 30% efficiency from deep. It would be shocking to see Huerter’s numbers remain as low as they are, and the Bulls have solid ballhandling options to allow Huerter as many catch-and-shoot opportunities as he could want.

The Bulls had been downright dreadful without Lavine in the lineup this year, but their win over the Heat on Tuesday night was anything but. Four players the Bulls touted as the cornerstones of their future all scored more than 20 points: Coby White, Josh Giddey, Ayo Dosunmu, and Matas Buzelis. Add a double-double from Nikola Vucevic and 13/7/4 from Patrick Williams to round out a winning formula for the Chicago Bulls.

 

What’s Next After Lavine?

This is exactly the vision the Bulls decision makers of executive Arturas Karnisovas and GM Marc Eversley sold the city of Chicago on. The young, homegrown talent mixed in effortlessly alongside the veterans they acquired through some savvy dealing to create a sustainable, winning future for the franchise. Sadly, dream games like this have continued to be only a mirage. The highest of highs have been matched with the lowest of lows, stranding the Bulls in the purgatory of the play-in for the last three seasons. The only thing consistent about the Bulls of the last few years has been….well, their inconsistency. Sure, the writing on the wall has finally been seen, and the foundation is set to move forward in a new direction. But the hesitancy to make such a move has cost the Bulls a huge amount of value in dealing with their superstar in Lavine. 

There’s no guarantee the Bulls are done making moves, even if it’s not before the trade deadline on Thursday. Lonzo Ball, as previously mentioned, has been linked to some sort of deal that provides the Bulls significant draft capital. Nikola Vucevic is on a contract that isn’t the most team-friendly deal and has long been associated with a deal out west to the Golden State. Even Coby White’s name has been floated as an asset to fully blow up the roster’s core and start anew. Regardless of the decisions that will be made, the Bulls have navigated their way through the NBA without a clear direction for several seasons now, and it’s more vital than ever for those at the wheel to right the ship.