NBA Rumors: Bulls 'Resigned' to Zach LaVine Starting Season on Roster amid Trade Buzz

Trade rumors surrounding Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine have been active for some time now, but the current expectation is that he'll be staying with the team at least through the beginning of the 2024-25 season, according to longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein.

"League sources say that the Bulls are thus resigned to fact that they will likely be forced to start the new season with LaVine on the roster and take it a step further by trying to help him rebuild some trade value after months of fruitless efforts to find a new home via trade — and after a foot injury and eventual surgery limited the 29-year-old to 25 games last season," Stein wrote on Friday.

LaVine underwent season-ending right foot surgery in February, cutting short a 25-game campaign that saw the 29-year-old average 19.5 points on 45.2 percent shooting, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.

If LaVine picks up his 2026-27 player option, then the Bulls currently owe him $138 million over the next three years. Simply put, that's a difficult contract to move.

On the flip side, LaVine averaged 25.1 points per game on 47.7 percent shooting (38.8 percent from three) from 2018-19 to 2022-23. He's a talented scorer when healthy, one who is capable of single-handedly taking over a game.

At the same time, Stein points out that LaVine's trade value has likely taken a hit due to the injury. He also had a down year offensively in his limited action, so a healthy return to the court could certainly boost his profile in the eyes of interested buyers.

One can surmise that LaVine should also get a chance here to be a bigger part of the offense with DeMar DeRozan, who was No. 1 on the Bulls in scoring and usage last year, now on the Sacramento Kings. That should allow LaVine to lead the way and better showcase his talents.

For now, though, LaVine remains a Bull. The question is for how long.