Zach LaVine Trade to Spurs Makes Most Sense for Bulls Star Amid NBA Rumors

The basketball world continues to revolve around Zach LaVine and his impending departure from the Chicago Bulls as Jake Fisher of Yahoo Sports reported, "LaVine, according to multiple sources familiar with his thinking, does not view this Bulls roster as competitive enough to turn any type of contending corner in the East."

He continued, "LaVine, league sources told Yahoo Sports, is also ready to play under a different head coach than Billy Donovan, who signed an extension with the club before the 2022-23 season began."

The Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Lakers have all been discussed as potential landing spots for LaVine but Fisher added another, more surprising team to the mix.

"LaVine also has an eye on joining the San Antonio Spurs, sources said, in order to pair with rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama and reunite with head coach Gregg Popovich, who oversaw the 2020 Team USA outfit that LaVine helped win a gold medal in Tokyo."

Moreso than the contending teams, who are either red hot and should not have their on-court chemistry toyed with at this point (Philly and Miami) or have not yet played together fully because of injury (Los Angeles), the Spurs make the most sense for LaVine.

Wemby is a phenom with whom he could grow alongside and form the nucleus for a winning team in San Antonio, something the Spurs have not had consistently in years. Beyond the obvious one-two punch with the exhilarating rookie, he is an upgrade over Devin Vassell and would instantly improve the starting lineup.

Both LaVine and the Spurs are tired of losing and a partnership would set both on a path to rectifying that issue, especially as the seven-foot-four rookie continues to develop into the generational talent team officials believed him to be when they drafted him at the No. 1 overall spot this past offseason.

There would not be the established chemistry to mess up and Wembanyama is early enough in his development that learning to play with LaVine will theoretically not be detrimental to him.

If there is a downside, it is that LaVine is still very much a defensive liability and carries a huge contract north of $40 million this season and $43 next.

The Spurs have negative cap space.

They would likely have to purge a starter or two, and several bench players, for the move to fit financially. The risk there is that the quality depth would take a big hit and, assuming the Spurs would package draft picks in the deal, would also potentially affect their ability to load back up in subsequent drafts.

Strictly on the court, though, LaVine would be an upgrade for a Spurs team that is going to find it difficult to compete in a loaded Western Conference this season.

The prospects of playing with Wemby, and having even the slightest opportunity to have a hand in his development while playing for a coach he respects and experienced, really, his only major success with as a professional player, are understandably appealing.

Whether they manifest themselves in a deal remains to be seen, but it is a partnership that could breed the long-term benefits that LaVine's time in Chicago never really did.