Bulls Rumors: Zach LaVine, Nikola Vučević Subject of Trade Calls Ahead of Deadline

The Chicago Bulls have received trade calls from other teams regarding Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

The Golden State Warriors are one of the teams "expressing interest" in Vučević, according to Charania.

LaVine and Vučević are the only players averaging at least 20 points per game in Chicago. At 19-25 and 10th in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls currently sit in range of a play-in spot, but a recent five-game losing streak could compel them to enter the Feb. 6 deadline as sellers.

LaVine is averaging 24.0 points per game on some of the most efficient shooting of his career, including a career-high 51.4 percent from the field and 45.0 percent from deep.

Vučević is meanwhile contributing 20.3 points per game, his highest total since his first full season with the Bulls in 2021-22, on similarly effective shooting (55.4 percent from the field, 41.1 percent from behind the arc.)

The Bulls have reportedly been seeking a trade for LaVine and his $215 million max contract almost since he signed the deal with the team in 2022.

His value could be at a high given his production and health this season, although any deal would still be complicated by his contract situation. As one Western Conference general manager told ESPN's Bobby Marks in December, his average salary of $43 million "boxes you into a corner on how we can add to the roster."

Vučević has a more movable contract, given that he is signed for just one more season at an average annual salary of $20 million, and Charania's report is not the first time he has been connected to the Warriors.

HoopsHype's Michael Scotto recently wrote that the Warriors are concentrated on improving their frontcourt before the trade deadline.

The Athletic's Anthony Slater meanwhile reported that Warriors have "talked plenty internally about the need for a center who makes 3s consistently" in order to space out the floor for Stephen Curry and create better matchups for Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga.

Both Scotto and Slater mentioned Vučević's name as a fit for these needs.

The Bulls are currently set to send their 2025 first-round draft pick to San Antonio as part of the 2021 DeMar DeRozan trade, but will get to keep the selection if they end up in the top 10. Bulls coach Billy Donovan recently said the team's goal is not to be "just stuck in the middle."

If the Bulls decide postseason contention is an unrealistic goal, moving out LaVine and Vučević while their trade value is high and accruing future assets in return could set them on course for a busy draft in April.