Zach LaVine Rumors: 'Increasing Expectation' Bulls Won't Trade Star by NBA Deadline

Zach LaVine has been one of the top available players on the trade market since Shams Charania and Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic reported in November that "there's been increased openness from the Chicago Bulls and LaVine about exploring a trade."

But is it possible that he won't be traded at all?

According to Matt Moore of Action Network, there are "still no takers" for the veteran guard and "there's increasing expectation of him remaining in Chicago. Fair or not, LaVine is seen as a distressed asset on account of his play style, injury history and most importantly contract that takes him through 2026."

The play style issues come down to LaVine's defensive deficiencies more than likely. For most contenders considering a player like LaVine, they are doing so with him as a third option in mind. Most teams don't need a pure scorer as the No. 3 option, they need a player who can make a two-way impact.

Per the injuries, LaVine has appeared in just 25 games this season and only played more than 70 games once since joining the Bulls back in the 2017-18 season.

And then there's the contract. LaVine will make $43 million next season, $45.9 million in the 2025-26 campaign and has a player option for $48.9 million in the 2026-27 campaign, one he'll almost assuredly exercise.

That's a lot of money to pay if a team has questions about how his playing style will fit into their team and has concerns about his injury history. Hence, the tepid trade market for him.