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Zach LaVine’s season-high 36 points against Boston Celtics on Thursday could help raise his trade value for the Chicago Bulls.
According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Seigel“in recent weeks, the mood surrounding LaVine has changed across the league.”
LaVine is averaging 22.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Bulls so far this season.
He has been shooting 50.5 percent from the field and a career best 43.5 percent from deep to lead the Bulls in scoring through 24 starts.
“Regardless of his contract, these numbers could instantly help many playoff-contending teams around the league,” Siegel wrote. “Talk of teams paying attention to LaVine’s situation in Chicago is growing.”
LaVine has been particularly strong over the last two weeks of play, with three 30-point outings in a four-game stretch capped off by the win over the Celtics.
Chicago Bulls @chicagobulls
Zach LaVine with an All-Star performance!
36 pts | 11-19 FG | 6-11 from three | 4 ast pic.twitter.com/KpdlKdg5bZ
LaVine is making $43 million this season, and should he take his player option for the 2026-27 campaign he would be owed almost $95 million over the next two.
His recent production could help the Bulls find another team willing to take on that costly deal.
One potential trade partner could be the Denver Nuggets, who so far this season have struggled to find scoring outside of Nikola Jokić. The Athletic’s Tony Jones and Sam Amick recently reported that LaVine is one of the players the Nuggets have shown interest in amid their search for offensive help.
According to Jones and Amick, the Nuggets’ “focus on LaVine in recent discussions is significant.”
Any Nuggets trade would likely involve Michael Porter Jr., Jones and Amick added. Porter is also signed for two more seasons, but he is younger and costs slightly less than LaVine, which could make him an attractive target for the Bulls.
Adding LaVine would allow the Nuggets to add a second scorer behind Jokić, while giving the Bulls the chance to move a player who has reportedly been on the trade block for the last year and a half.
