The Chicago Bulls have tried fruitlessly to trade Zach LaVine over the past two years.
How desperate is Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas to make that happen after vowing to change the roster this offseason?
The Nets gave control of their first-round picks to the Houston Rockets through 2027 in the James Harden trade, which means bottoming out won’t pay off for them like it would for other teams,” Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes wrote on May 17. “That makes Brooklyn a reasonable landing spot for LaVine.”
Hughes suggests the Bulls ‘start over’ and trade LaVine to Brooklyn for Ben Simmons.
Bulls get:
– Ben Simmons
– 2027 first-round pick (top-8 protected via PHI)
– 2027 first-round pick (lottery protected via PHX)
Nets get:
– Zach LaVine
Simmons is a three-time All-Star, two-time All-Defense Team selection, All-NBA pick, Rookie of the Year (2017-18), and steals champion. He is entering the final year of a five-year, $177.2 million contract.
“Chicago can onboard his expiring $40.3 million contract with a couple of protected picks attached and bask in its newfound optionality,” Hughes wrote.
Simmons has not been the same player over the last three seasons.
Ben Simmons is a different player now. After missing the entire 2021-22 season due to a back injury and a holdout with the Philadelphia 76ers, he has only played in 57 games for the Brooklyn Nets over the past two years. This season, he’s appeared in just 15 games as his back problems resurfaced. Even when he has played, his impact has been minimal, with averages of 6.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.2 steals during his time with the Nets.
Brooklyn was more efficient without him than with him this past season, per Cleaning The Glass.
However, Simmons did provide a positive impact when on the floor in 2022-23. That period came alongside the dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, which presents another hurdle to such a deal.
The Bulls don’t have a Durant or an Irving, and this trade suggests moving the Bulls’ second most dynamic offensive threat in LaVine.
DeRozan would still be on hand with both sides interested in his return.
So that’s not a non-starter for the Bulls in this hypothetical trade scenario. There is also a familiarity with Bulls general manager Marc Eversley. Eversley was in the 76ers front office when Simmons was drafted.
But Hughes’ suggestion involves more than just trading the two-time All-Star, LaVine.
Bulls Could Be Looking to Trade, Not Rebuild
“Hughes wrote that this assumes the Bulls will also trade Nikola Vučević, Alex Caruso, and anything else that isn’t bolted down or named Coby White.”
A healthy Simmons could be a great asset for White, who fatigued as the season progressed.
