Report: Zach LaVine ‘would welcome’ trade to Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
After reports recently surfaced about Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine being available for commerce, it appeared that the Kings of Sacramento are part of the list of preferred destinations of the star guard, Yahoo’s Jake Fischer reported Fridayciting sources.
More than five years after LaVine signed a four-year, $80 million deal with the Kings, the Bulls guard would have been happy to have the opportunity to join a young core that included multiple All-Pros in De’Aaron Fox And Domantas Sabonis.
While it’s intriguing to imagine a trio of Lavine, Fox and Sabonis together in the California capital, trading for the Bulls star could prove complicated for several reasons.
During an appearance on “Kings Post Game Live,” NBC Sports California contributor Marc Stein explained why teams interested in trading for LaVine will face a handful of hurdles if they try to make a deal in a near future.
“Here’s the thing, it’s actually too early for any real suitors to emerge for Zach LaVine,” Stein said on Kings Post Game Live. “And the reason is because his contract is huge. He’s only in the second year of a contract worth 215 million, which is not easy to move. Now, because the Kings have already signed Zach LaVine to an offer, I think there will always be an established connection between the Kings and Lavine from that standpoint. And obviously, I think on his side, there will always be some interest there- low because again, he signed the contract with Sacramento with a previous front office, not this one, Chicago’s. ended up matching the first time LaVine got a big contract in free agency.
“But we must remember that in mid-November, we saw James Harden traded, but it was the culmination of a months-long situation that began with a trade request just before free agency. The reality is that in mid-November you generally don’t see a lot of business action. And that’s because a third of the league won’t even be able to be traded until Dec. 15, when the majority of last summer’s free agents become eligible for trade.
Stein once again reiterated that as fascinating as the chatter about a possible LaVine trade is, it’s too early to expect a deal to materialize this early in the NBA season.
“We all love the deal game and business talk,” Stein said. “It’s probably a little too early to start hyping Team A, B, or C in terms of Zach LaVine. But that said, it’s a hot topic. It’s been the buzz of the week, and I suspects this discussion will only get louder unless Chicago turns things around and starts winning games.”
Lavine is a two-time All-Star who posted career per-game averages of 20.5 points, 4 rebounds and 3.9 assists with a 46.3% completion percentage over parts of 10 NBA seasons.
The cost to LaVine will likely prove high, and the obstacles of the NBA schedule will be difficult to overcome. Still, the fact that the Kings would be an ideal destination for a star player on the move speaks volumes about the culture of the country. franchise cultivated during their recent resurgence.
