Zach LaVine trade? Why Bulls can learn valuable lesson from Wizards if they want to move high-scoring guard

The Knicks recently made contact with the Bulls about a trade for LaVine

If there's anything the Chicago Bulls could've learned from the Washington Wizards trading Bradley Beal in June, it's what not to do when trying to deal your franchise player. For years, Beal had been the subject of trade rumors, and every time the team rebuffed the notion that he was available. Instead, Washington toiled in years of mediocrity, and -- against better judgment -- signed Beal to a five-year, $251 million supermax contract in 2022 with the league's only no-trade clause. 

When the day finally came to trade Beal to the Phoenix Suns at the end of June, the Wizards didn't even manage to get a first-round pick out of the deal, essentially salary dumping the All-Star guard. Yes, they managed to flip the return of Chris Paul for Jordan Poole, but adding Poole feels more like an unnecessary stopgap for a team that should be heading down the path of full-on rebuild. It's one of those situations that can serve as a cautionary tale for a team like the Bulls, who, if aren't careful in how they handle Zach LaVine, could find themselves in a similar situation to the Wizards.

LaVine's name has been mentioned in trade rumors for some time, and most recently the New York Knicks reached out to the Bulls to gauge what a deal would look like. Chicago's asking price was "giant" according to The Athletic, and the two sides were never close on a deal. It's unclear exactly what the Bulls were asking for in return, but it's obvious that right now, the Bulls aren't willing to part with LaVine for just anything. 

To be clear, that's a completely understandable stance to have for Chicago, LaVine is one of the most prolific and efficient scorers in the league. The Bulls should be stingy with the two-time All Star. Trading him right now wouldn't make sense unless the offer is out of this world. Especially when there's a chance that the minor tweaks Chicago made to its roster this offseason pan out. If that happens then all of this trade talk dissipates. 

But if Chicago underperforms once again, and it looks like this core has run its course, then the Bulls have to ensure they sell high on LaVine instead of waiting too long like the Wizards did with Beal. And with the new CBA forcing every team to spend wisely, the longer Chicago waits, the worse the trade packages could become. 

LaVine is owed $178.1 million over the next four years, including a $48.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season. In retrospect that deal seems far less extreme compared to the hefty contracts that were handed out this summer, but it's still a massive contract that not every team will be thrilled to take on with the new penalties facing high-spending franchises.

In theory, LaVine should be a more attractive player on the trade market than Beal, given he's two years younger and is making around $30 million less on his current deal. He's a versatile scorer who has proven he can play with or without the ball in his hands. 

But we've seen how quickly a player's value can diminish in this league, especially if they're contract is seen as a negative. If the Bulls do intend on trading LaVine, they have to time it correctly, otherwise they'll be looking at lackluster trade packages and wishing they did this sooner.