Zach LaVine Trade Shouldn't Be Pursued by 76ers, Heat Amid Latest NBA Rumors

Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls are heading toward a divorce and according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Lakers are "expected to have a level of interest" in him.

For the sake of their teams and the early success they have enjoyed to this point, the Sixers and the Heat should eliminate themselves from that conversation.

Both teams are red-hot right now, with Philadelphia sitting atop the Eastern Conference at 8-2 and the Heat, winners of six straight, at 7-4.

Joel Embiid (33.1 points per game) and Tyrese Maxey (28.4 points per game) are leading the way for the Sixers, while the Heat's Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro are all averaging over 20 a night.

With teams building momentum and discovering their on-court chemistry this early in the season, the last thing either team needs is to disrupt it by dealing for LaVine and risking throwing it off.

Rather than another star, the teams should be focused on accumulating depth. Acquire pieces that strengthen the bench and can come in, on short notice, and deliver in key situations.

There is so much attention paid to picking up that third star and loading up for the playoffs that some organizations toy with lineups and end up ruining what made the team gel in the first place.

The Sixers did just that, bringing in James Harden in hopes that he would be the piece that put the team over the proverbial hump and win their first NBA title since 1983. It did not work, with Harden being a second star rather than someone who complimented Embiid.

Maxey, as it turns out, not only compliments the franchise star but is playing at a high level in his own right. He also has a contract that is up at the end of this season and is an restricted free agent.

The team will likely not want to lose a player that is in the midst of realizing his potential this season, especially considering his chemistry with Embiid. Bringing LaVine in, with a contract north of $43 million next season, will make it difficult to pay Maxey what he will likely be offered by other teams.

LaVine is still a very good player, is on the floor consistently for 35 minutes a night and is currently averaging 21.9 points a game. He definitely has value and a team on the fringe of playoff contention would be wise to make a play for him.

The Sixers and Heat are not those teams. They are legitimate contenders off to a hot start.

Blowing it up to bring in a player who may need time to adjust or find his footing in a new system will only do more damage than good, especially if management is not absolutely sure that he is the missing piece to the championship equation.