<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-sticking-points-in-nuggets-bulls-zach-lavine-trade-talks');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Sticking points in Nuggets-Bulls Zach LaVine trade talks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NBA-rumors-Sticking-points-in-Nuggets-Bulls-Zach-LaVine-trade-talks.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Sticking points in Nuggets-Bulls Zach LaVine trade talks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T07:47:39-08:00">December 23rd, 7:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T13:48:31-08:00">December 23rd, 1:48pm</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bulls</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Denver <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-trade-proposal-lands-zach-lavine-3-team-deal-bulls">Nuggets are trying to make improvements</a> to their team, and one name that continues to come up is Zach LaVine. Even though the Nuggets may want LaVine, there’s something that’s keeping the Chicago Bulls from <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sunday-best-all-my-latest-nba-trade?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=153497921&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">making the trade</a>, according to Marc Stein.</p><p>“One potential trade iteration to surface as part of Denver’s confirmed interest in Chicago’s Zach LaVine is a swap that would bring LaVine and Torrey Craig to the Nuggets in exchange for Michael Porter Jr. and Zeke Nnaji,” Stein wrote. “Yet the Bulls, league sources say, have balked at Nnaji’s inclusion in such a trade. This is Year 1 of a four-year, $32 million contract for Nnaji that, while descending in value annually, runs through 2027-28.</p><p>“Denver has also weighed whether it is wiser to trade Porter for two players if the Nuggets indeed decided between now and the Feb. 6 trade deadline that they are prepared to part with an organizational favorite.”</p><p>Porter has been a big part of the Nuggets’ success, as he’s a plus shooter and rebounder. If <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-news-zach-lavine-fit-with-nuggets-eye-opening-take-amid-trade-rumors">they trade Porter for LaVine</a>, they’ll miss some of his skills, but they’ll get in return someone who can create his own shot, similar to Jamal Murray.</p><h2>Nuggets want to improve their roster</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Zach-LaVine_c7e252.jpg"><figcaption>Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>At 15-11 and fifth in the Western Conference, the Nuggets believe that they can improve their roster to be better this season. After the turnaround of their roster the past two years, they’re looking to make a big splash, but it’s uncertain if they’ll actually do something.</p><p>The Nuggets still have Nikola Jokic, one of the best players in the world who can do everything on the court. Jamal Murray has struggled throughout the season, but when he gets into a rhythm, it’s hard to stop him offensively. The bench is the one area that the Nuggets should look to improve, but that’s probably where a trade comes into place.</p><p>Right now, it seems like the Nuggets want to improve their starting lineup, and Zach LaVine is one of the players that they want. With what the Nuggets like to do on offense, it’s hard to see how LaVine would fit in unless he’s going to play the Michael Porter Jr. role, but in that case, you may as well keep him. The team may be better just trying to improve the bench, but it’ll be interesting to see which players may be available around the league to help them in that department.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Sticking points in Nuggets-Bulls Zach LaVine trade talks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/ranking-best-zach-lavine-trade-destinations-bulls-seek-rebuild');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ranking best Zach LaVine trade destinations as Bulls seek rebuild');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Ranking-best-Zach-LaVine-trade-destinations-as-Bulls-seek-rebuild.jpg"></figure><h1>Ranking best Zach LaVine trade destinations as Bulls seek rebuild</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T18:13:11-08:00">December 22nd, 6:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T18:13:11-08:00">December 22nd, 6:13pm</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and is now serving as an Associate Editor, Chicago Bulls beat writer, and Michigan football reporter at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bulls</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bulls are still in the middle of their rebuild, and it is taking longer than fans were hoping. This season is off to a rough start once again, and it’s clear that Chicago doesn’t have a team that is going to compete for a championship. The Bulls still need to make some moves to get where they want to be, and a player to watch in that regard is Zach LaVine.</p><p>Last season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/latest-jimmy-butler-zach-lavine-nba-trade-rumors-siegels-scoop">trade rumors involving Zach LaVine</a> were loud, and it seemed like a certainty that he would be traded before the deadline. However, injuries were a major issue for LaVine last year, and he ended up needing season-ending surgery. That ended the trade discussions, but they resumed in the offseason.</p><p>LaVine obviously stayed with the Bulls into this season, but it once again seems like he could be departing soon via a trade. LaVine is by far the highest-paid player on this Bulls team, so Chicago could definitely benefit from trading away their star.</p><p>So far on the season, LaVine is averaging 22.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG and 4.2 APG. Getting off to a strong start this year has been huge for both Zach LaVine and the Bulls. LaVine has shown that he can still be one of the better players in the league when he stays healthy, and he might be able to find a better fit via a trade to a team that can potentially make a run for the playoffs.</p><p>As for the Bulls, LaVine’s strong start is incredibly important as well as they can now get some good talent from trading their highest-paid player. They could’ve gotten some good talent last year as well, but LaVine has seemed to improve his draft stock since then.</p><p>We still have a couple months before the NBA trade deadline, but it definitely seems like <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-trade-proposal-lands-zach-lavine-3-team-deal-bulls">Zach LaVine could be someone heading to a new team</a>. Here are some potential teams to watch.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Zach-LaVine.jpg"><figcaption>© Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h2><b>Los Angeles Lakers</b></h2><p>The Lakers are a team that have come up in trade rumors surrounding Zach LaVine. If the Bulls did agree to something with Los Angeles, it could be a great fit for everyone involved. The Bulls could get a good package of talent to pair with their young core, the Lakers would add another star and LaVine would get to compete for a playoff spot with LeBron James.</p><h2><b>Los Angeles Clippers</b></h2><p>The Clippers are another team to watch here, and for similar reasons as the Lakers. Both of the LA teams are vying for postseason runs this year, and another star on the roster would certainly be a big help, especially with how well Zach LaVine is playing. This is another one that all three parties would likely be in favor of.</p><h2><b>Detroit Pistons</b></h2><p>Another interesting destination would be the Pistons. Both of these teams have been down in recent years, but Detroit fans would love to see a season like the Bulls have had in recent years. Chicago has made the play-in tournament the past two years while the Pistons have been one of the worst teams in the league.</p><p>The Pistons have some good young guys that come over to the Bulls, and LaVine could help Detroit make a push for the postseason as he would be paired with former #1 overall pick Cade Cunningham. This might not be LaVine’s first choice, but it could be something to think about.</p><p>Right now, Zach LaVine’s contract is likely something that is getting in the way of a trade, but when we get closer to the February deadline, we will probably get some more clarity on which teams have the most interest.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ranking best Zach LaVine trade destinations as Bulls seek rebuild

Siegel’s Scoop: Unwrapping latest Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine, NBA trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bulls-news-zach-lavine-drops-defiant-tanking-stance-after-upset-win-vs-celtics');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bulls’ Zach LaVine drops defiant tanking stance after upset win vs. Celtics');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/0Zach-LaVine-drops-defiant-tanking-stance-after-upset-win-vs.-Celtics0.jpg"></figure><h1>Bulls’ Zach LaVine drops defiant tanking stance after upset win vs. Celtics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T08:32:31-08:00">December 20th, 8:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T08:32:31-08:00">December 20th, 8:32am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bulls</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The expectations surrounding the Chicago Bulls were low heading into the 2024-25 season. After all, the Bulls have already conceded the fact that they will be falling down the standings, embracing the future by trading Alex Caruso away for Josh Giddey and letting DeMar DeRozan go in free agency. But as long as he can help it, Zach LaVine isn’t just about to give up on the Bulls — leading the way for them in an incredible <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-jaylen-brown-refs-postgame-rant-bulls-game">117-108 win over the reigning champion Boston Celtics</a> on Thursday.</p><p>LaVine led all scorers with 36 on the night, and he shot an incredible 11-19 from the field — showing that the Bulls can beat any team on any given night even <a href="https://twitter.com/KCJHoop/status/1869950621782065640" rel="noopener">amid all the talk</a> of the team punting on the season so they could retain their top-10 protected pick that will be going to the San Antonio Spurs if they end up making to the playoffs.</p><p>“We’re a good team. We’re competitive. And we’re a resilient group. Players and coaches never tank,” LaVine said following the Bulls’ win over the Celtics, per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Zach LaVine: “We’re a good team. We’re competitive. And we’re a resilient group.”</p><p>LaVine told me, if left intact, he believes Bulls can make playoffs</p><p>That would mean Bulls’ first-round pick, which is top-10 protected, would go to Spurs</p><p>Zach: “Players and coaches never tank.”</p><p>— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) <a href="https://twitter.com/KCJHoop/status/1869950621782065640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Indeed, as long as the Bulls have the likes of LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and Coby White on the roster, it will be difficult for them to be as bad as the league’s worst teams. They may not have the talent to keep up with the best of the NBA on a nightly basis, but Chicago has shown that they cannot be underestimated — just ask the Celtics.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-most-pleasant-surprise-early-2024-25-season">Bulls fans will be wondering</a> whether or not remaining semi-competitive is what’s best for the future of the team. As presently constructed, the Bulls will find it difficult to escape the middle of the pack. However, for as long as LaVine is on the team, don’t expect the Bulls to be an easy win for the opposition anytime soon.</p><h2><b>Zach LaVine and the Bulls’ fighting spirit lives on</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bulls-guard-Zach-LaVine-shoots-against-Boston-Celtics-guard-Derrick-White-and-guard-Payton-Pritchard.jpg"><figcaption>© David Butler II-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Those who are in the NBA made it to that level for a reason; they’re some of the most competitive people on the planet, and they won’t ever take kindly to losing. Thus, it’s disingenuous to implore the Bulls to simply give up, as they are in the business of winning ballgames, not lottery balls.</p><p>There is something admirable in the Bulls’ fighting spirit that they remain in the thick of the playoff hunt despite losing two crucial pieces of past rosters. And that won’t be changing anytime soon under the leadership of Zach LaVine as well as head coach Billy Donovan.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bulls’ Zach LaVine drops defiant tanking stance after upset win vs. Celtics

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/celtics-news-joe-mazzulla-festive-explanation-outburst-refs-celtics-falls-bulls');   ga('set', 'title', 'Joe Mazzulla’s festive explanation for outburst at refs after Celtics fall to Bulls');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Celtics-news-Joe-Mazzullas-festive-explanation-for-outburst-at-refs-after-loss-to-Bulls.jpg"></figure><h1>Joe Mazzulla’s festive explanation for outburst at refs after Celtics fall to Bulls</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T21:47:45-08:00">December 19th, 9:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T21:47:45-08:00">December 19th, 9:47pm</time><address><a>Daniel Donabedian</a>Daniel Donabedian is a beat reporter for ClutchPoints covering the Boston Celtics. He's also covered Villanova men's basketball and Big East basketball, building a strong reputation in the northeast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>BOSTON — Christmas is almost here, and Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla wanted to spread some holiday cheer in his own way on Thursday night following a 117-108 loss to the Chicago Bulls.</p><p>After the Celtics trailed by nine points with 7:41 remaining in the fourth quarter, they rattled off a 6-0 run to make it a one-possession game with under six minutes to play. However, shortly after the C’s made it 99-96, Mazzulla stepped on the court to argue with official Justin Van Duyne. Boston’s skipper then received a technical foul and since <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-jaylen-brown-refs-postgame-rant-bulls-game">reigning NBA Finals MVP and Celtics star Jaylen Brown didn’t agree with the call</a>, he let Van Dunye know about it and generated another technical foul.</p><p>Those two whistles gifted Bulls star Zach LaVine two points via technical free throws, pushing Chicago’s lead to five points. The Bulls never looked back, as they closed out the game with relative ease and handed the Green Team their largest loss of the season.</p><p>Before everybody returned to the locker room, Mazzulla offered the referees a fiery goodbye.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Missed this as I was going down to the press room. Probably the best view of what happened between Joe Mazzulla and the officials:<br> <a href="https://t.co/gu6u1ItvLr">pic.twitter.com/gu6u1ItvLr</a></p><p>— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) <a href="https://twitter.com/danield1214/status/1869940540105527480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Yet, Mazzulla claimed that his parting words were actually festive.</p><p>“I just hadn’t seen them in a while, so just a Merry Christmas, a happy holiday,” Mazzulla joked when asked what his postgame message to the officials was. “I wasn’t sure I was going to see them before the holiday.”</p><p>The New England native will likely be fined for pursuing the refs. The league might <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-jaylen-brown-fined-25000-taunting-pistons-isaiah-stewart">lighten Brown’s pockets as well for the second time</a> this season for bashing the late-game officiating, which featured three technical fouls against the Celtics in a two-minute span in the fourth quarter.</p><p>“Joe didn’t say anything to deserve a tech,” Brown argued. “I come and shake all the refs’ hands because I speak for my team. I’m allowed to talk. So when I tell [Van Duyne] you called a tech for no reason and you say, ‘If you say it again, I’m calling another tech,’ then I say it again and you call a tech, you just threatened your whistle as a threat. Like, that’s not a part of the game either and it’s bull****.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jaylen Brown went off on the refs and the double standard of his fine against the Pistons and the officials’ actions tonight:</p><p>“You can’t threaten a guy with a tech…I think it’s bull****.” <a href="https://t.co/Fh10UTFgFD">pic.twitter.com/Fh10UTFgFD</a></p><p>— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) <a href="https://twitter.com/danield1214/status/1869947286706368893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Celtics’ tempers might have flared more than usual on Thursday because their shots weren’t falling. They failed to connect on 42 of their 56 attempts from 3-point land while the Bulls hit 19 of their 52 shots from deep. Boston’s 42 failed 3-pointers tied an unfortunate franchise record that was set during its previous loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Dec. 7.</p><p>On average, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-jaylen-brown-gets-real-on-bostons-historic-3-point-shooting">Celtics shoot a league-leading 51 triples per game</a>, so misses are bound to happen. Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who hit four of his 11 attempts beyond the arc, can live with this reality.</p><p>“We played our normal game tonight,” he commented in his postgame press conference. “We just didn’t shoot the ball nearly as well as we normally do.”</p><p>The Green Team couldn’t overcome loads of 3-point misfires and LaVine’s 36-point performance. And while the refs weren’t necessarily Boston’s downfall, Tatum wasn’t a fan of how a few whistles impacted the contest down the stretch.</p><p>“It was just tough. The segment Justin had kind of changed that [part] of the game. You don’t necessarily love that,” he stated. “You want the players to play and dictate the game like that. But, 82 games—sh** happens.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jayson Tatum on how the late technicals impacted the game:</p><p>“It changed that segment of the game … There’s 82 games. Sh** happens.” <a href="https://t.co/TrvNvKkR1E">pic.twitter.com/TrvNvKkR1E</a></p><p>— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) <a href="https://twitter.com/danield1214/status/1869954440008003711?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Tatum and Brown combined for 50 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists on the night. Their contributions weren’t enough to prevent the Celtics from dropping to 21-6 on the season and falling two games behind the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers.</p><p>They won’t have to wait long for revenge, though. The C’s meet the Bulls again on Saturday evening in the Windy City. The two Eastern Conference foes will then square off one last time in the regular season <a href="https://www.nba.com/celtics/schedule" rel="noopener">in late January</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Joe Mazzulla’s festive explanation for outburst at refs after Celtics fall to Bulls

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/celtics-news-jaylen-brown-refs-postgame-rant-bulls-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jaylen Brown goes off on refs in fiery postgame rant after Bulls game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jaylen-Brown-goes-off-on-refs-in-fiery-postgame-rant-after-Bulls-game.jpg"></figure><h1>Jaylen Brown goes off on refs in fiery postgame rant after Bulls game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T20:40:09-08:00">December 19th, 8:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T20:40:09-08:00">December 19th, 8:40pm</time><address><a>Nathan Yasis</a>Nathan Yasis is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, specializing in the NBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics were outplayed by the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night, with Chicago using a potent three-point attack and a strong late-game push to secure a 117-108 victory at TD Garden. However, the game itself became secondary as tensions flared in the closing moments, with the Celtics accumulating three technical fouls in the final minutes.</p><p>“You can’t threaten a guy with a tech…I think it’s bull****,” said the Celtics forward.</p><h2><b>Jaylen Brown putting the officiating crew on blast</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Celtics-Jaylen-Brown-defending-a-Bulls-guard.jpg"><figcaption>David Butler II-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Brown provided a detailed explanation during his post-game press conference.</p><p>“Here’s the thing. You get fined. I got fined a couple of weeks ago for inadvertent gestures… But what part of the game is a ref calling an inadvertent technical foul? Isaid to him, ‘You called a tech for no reason.’ He said, ‘If you say it to me again, I’m gonna call another tech.’ ‘You called the tech for no reason.’ Then he called the tech. Like, man, get out of here. You can’t threaten guys with a technical foul. That’s not part of the game, either.” said the irate Jaylen Brown.</p><p>“You want to fine people for gestures and all this stuff, fine that. This is some b*******. We were down three at the time at the jump ball and that led to us being down eight and that affects the game. That could have been avoided. Joe didn’t say anything to deserve a tech,” he continued.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jaylen Brown went off on the refs and the double standard of his fine against the Pistons and the officials’ actions tonight:</p><p>“You can’t threaten a guy with a tech…I think it’s bull****.” <a href="https://t.co/Fh10UTFgFD">pic.twitter.com/Fh10UTFgFD</a></p><p>— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) <a href="https://twitter.com/danield1214/status/1869947286706368893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Brown’s <a href="https://www.twitter.com/danield1214/status/1869947286706368893" rel="noopener">frustration stemmed from</a> his belief that he should have been the one involved in the jump ball with Ayo Dosunmu. However, referee Justin Van Duyne clarified that it was actually Payton Pritchard who would take part in the jump ball.</p><h2><b>A series of unfortunate events for the Celtics</b></h2><p>This prompted Brown to voice his dissatisfaction. The play occurred right in front of the Celtics’ bench, which explains why <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-joe-mazzulla-blame-nba-ratings-dip-but-he-asks-key-question">Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla</a> was close by and received a technical foul for stepping onto the court, as he explained.</p><p>The game took a turn after the controversial technical fouls. Zach LaVine converted both free throws, and following the Bulls’ win on the jump ball, LaVine drilled a three-pointer. What was once a three-point deficit quickly expanded to eight. The Celtics lost their rhythm and never posed a serious challenge to the Bulls for the rest of the quarter.</p><p>To make matters worse, Jayson Tatum also received a technical foul with 3:10 remaining, marking the Celtics’ third in just a few minutes. The Celtics struggled defensively in the fourth quarter, allowing 35 points and letting missed shots affect their play, leading to a lot of frustration.</p><p>After the game, Mazzulla rushed back onto the court to confront the officials. He had to be restrained by assistants Sam Cassell and Tony Dobbins as he attempted to shout at the referees. The Celtics will aim to rebound as they face the Bulls again at 8 p.m. Saturday, but this time, the game will take place in Chicago.</p><p>“So when I tell you, ‘You just called a tech for no reason,’ and you say, ‘If you say it again, I call another tech.’ Then I say it again, and you call a tech. You just threatened your whistle as a threat. Like, that’s not a part of the game either. And I think it’s b*******.” Brown concluded.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jaylen Brown goes off on refs in fiery postgame rant after Bulls game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nuggets-trade-proposal-lands-zach-lavine-3-team-deal-bulls');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nuggets trade proposal lands Zach LaVine in 3-team deal with Bulls');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Nuggets-trade-proposal-lands-Zach-LaVine-in-3-team-deal-with-Bulls.jpg"></figure><h1>Nuggets trade proposal lands Zach LaVine in 3-team deal with Bulls</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T19:28:11-08:00">December 19th, 7:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T19:28:11-08:00">December 19th, 7:28pm</time><address><a>Bobby Krivitsky</a>Bobby Krivitsky has covered the NBA for nearly a decade, working for Bleacher Report, Basketball Insiders, and as a beat reporter for Boston Celtics on SI. He also covered the NFL for Bleacher Report and was a national sports talk host for the SportsMap Radio Network.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bulls</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the Denver Nuggets <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6002502/2024/12/17/zach-lavine-trade-rumors-nuggets/" rel="noopener">seek offensive upgrades</a>, they’re eying Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine, per Sam Amick and Tony Jones of The Athletic.</p><p>A deal bringing LaVine to the “Mile High City” <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-michael-porter-jr-trade-nuggets-looking-improve">would spell the end of Michael Porter Jr.’s tenure</a> with the Nuggets. The former is a more potent three-level scorer. Plus, he has experience as the focal point of an offense and is a more skilled facilitator.</p><p>LaVine is generating 21.7 points and 4.7 assists per game and knocking down 42.8 percent of the 7.5 threes he’s hoisting. Porter is producing 18.5 points and 2.8 assists per contest while converting on 38.5 percent of his six attempts from behind the arc.</p><p>Denver might regret this swap, though. The Nuggets have a top-five offense, averaging 119.2 points per game. Their lack of balance and the need to upgrade their second unit are more pressing matters.</p><p>The 2022-23 NBA champions rank 15th in defensive rating, surrendering 112.9 points per 100 possessions. That <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?dir=A&amp;sort=NET_RATING" rel="noopener">has dragged their net rating to</a> 13th (2.5), per NBA.com.</p><p>LaVine turns 30 in March, and he’s on the books for $46 million next season. He has a $49 million player option for the 2026-27 campaign, during which he’ll turn 32.</p><p>Porter is 26. He’s under contract for $38.3 million next season and $40.8 million for the 2026-27 campaign.</p><h2><b>A top team in the West could benefit if Bulls don’t want Michael Porter Jr.</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Nuggets-Michael-Porter-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>© Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>While the Nuggets and Bulls are talking trade, Porter’s next home might not be in the “Windy City.” If his injury history and contract turn off the Bulls, a third team willing to gamble on Michael Porter Jr. could reap the rewards for a small price.</p><p>Perhaps the Memphis Grizzlies, second in the Western Conference with an 18-9 record, would swoop in.</p><p>If Memphis wants to add the six-foot-ten sharpshooter, who’s developing into a more potent three-level scoring threat, they could send Chicago a package featuring Brandon Clarke, Luke Kennard, and John Konchar.</p><p>The Nuggets could also acquire Jake LaRavia with Zach LaVine while rerouting Zeke Nnaji to Chicago to help make the money work.</p><p>Maybe the Grizzlies aren’t interested in Porter or parting with some of the individuals mentioned, but it’s hard to envision that group fetching them a better return.</p><p>Maybe the Bulls don’t view offloading Zach LaVine’s contract as enough of a win. Memphis parting with draft capital to help get this done seems likely. Still, the latter could make out best in this trade.</p><p>Acquiring Porter would give Ja Morant another knockdown shooter to work alongside, one with championship experience. It’s a move that could help extend the Grizzlies’ stay in the postseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nuggets trade proposal lands Zach LaVine in 3-team deal with Bulls

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bulls-news-nikola-vucevic-makes-zach-lavine-trade-quip-to-fan-nuggets-trolling');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nikola Vucevic makes Zach LaVine trade quip in response to fan’s Nuggets trolling');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bulls-news-Nikola-Vucevic-makes-Zach-LaVine-trade-quip-in-response-to-fans-Nuggets-trolling.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Nikola Vucevic makes Zach LaVine trade quip in response to fan’s Nuggets trolling</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T11:28:10-08:00">December 19th, 11:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T11:28:10-08:00">December 19th, 11:28am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bulls</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic humorously <a href="https://x.com/NikolaVucevic/status/1869594558033744127" rel="noopener">addressed</a> a trade rumor involving teammate Zach LaVine after a fan’s comment on X, formerly known as Twitter.</p><p>Vucevic had taken to the platform to share his disappointment with Ridley Scott’s sequel to Gladiator (2000), posting, “People that saw Gladiator 2, thoughts? I was pretty disappointed and I went in with low expectations already.”</p><p>A fan replied, “You should watch that movie in Denver!!! Heard it’s great there,” in an apparent reference to ongoing trade rumors linking LaVine to the Denver Nuggets.</p><p>In response, Vucevic quipped, “You’re thinking about Zach, this is not him,” humorously deflecting the trolling and indirectly referencing the speculation surrounding LaVine’s potential departure from the Chicago Bulls.</p><h2><b>Trade rumors swirl around Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine</b></h2><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-nuggets-targeting-zach-lavine-trade-to-pair-with-nikola-jokic">Zach LaVine, 29, has been at the center of trade discussions</a> recently, with the Denver Nuggets reportedly exploring options for the two-time All-Star. However, Vucevic’s own name has also emerged in trade speculation, with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-warriors-lakers-among-teams-nikola-vucevic-trade-interest">reports linking him to teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors</a>.</p><p>The 34-year-old Vucevic is enjoying a standout season, averaging 21.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. His efficiency has been particularly noteworthy, as he is shooting a career-best 58.7% from the field and an impressive 47.5% from three-point range.</p><p>According to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-what-bulls-want-nikola-vucevic-trade">Bulls are reportedly seeking a first-round pick in exchange for Vucevic</a>, who is under contract for $20 million this season and $21.4 million next season.</p><h2><b>Trade deadline looms as Bulls’ face uncertain future</b></h2><p>The Bulls, currently sitting at 12-15, face mounting questions about their roster’s future as the February trade deadline approaches. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-news-zach-lavine-fit-with-nuggets-eye-opening-take-amid-trade-rumors">LaVine’s potential fit with the Nuggets</a> has been a hot topic, but Vucevic’s high-level production and expiring contract have also made him an attractive option for contenders seeking frontcourt reinforcements.</p><p>While Vucevic’s lighthearted response to the fan’s comment brought humor to the trade chatter, his and LaVine’s futures in Chicago remain uncertain. With the Bulls reportedly open to retooling their roster, both players could find themselves wearing different jerseys by season’s end.</p><p>Meanwhile, teams are closely monitoring Vucevic and LaVine’s performances as trade discussions heat up, with their futures likely to influence the Chicago Bulls’ rebuild.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nikola Vucevic makes Zach LaVine trade quip in response to fan’s Nuggets trolling

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bulls-news-zach-lavine-fit-with-nuggets-eye-opening-take-amid-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Zach LaVine’s fit with Nuggets draws eye-opening take amid trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bulls-news-Zach-LaVines-fit-with-Nuggets-draws-eye-opening-take-amid-trade-rumors.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Zach LaVine’s fit with Nuggets draws eye-opening take amid trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T10:09:23-08:00">December 19th, 10:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T10:09:23-08:00">December 19th, 10:09am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bulls</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-nuggets-targeting-zach-lavine-trade-to-pair-with-nikola-jokic">Denver Nuggets have reportedly expressed interest in Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine</a> as trade rumors swirl ahead of the February 6 deadline. LaVine, a two-time All-Star, has drawn attention for his scoring ability and potential fit within a Nuggets roster led by reigning MVP Nikola Jokić.</p><p>A Western Conference scout recently shared insights with The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry on how LaVine could integrate into Denver’s system, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6005819/2024/12/19/zach-lavine-bulls-nuggets-trade-value/" rel="noopener">stating</a>, “He probably needs to be in a different environment. There are not a lot of guys who can do what he does. I’ve always been a big fan, actually. Not as your No. 1 guy, not as your No. 2 guy, but as your No. 3 guy.”</p><h2><b>Zach LaVine’s potential fit with Nikola Jokic spark debate amid trade rumors</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Zach-LaVine-8-gestures-after-a-three-point-basket-against-the-Memphis-Grizzlies.jpg"><figcaption>© David Banks-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>LaVine, 29, is averaging 21.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game this season while shooting an efficient 50.1% from the field and 42.8% from three-point range, despite the Bulls holding a 12-15 record. His best season came in 2020-21, when he averaged 27.4 points, five rebounds, and 4.9 assists, shooting 50.7% from the field and 41.9% from deep.</p><p>The scout emphasized that LaVine’s role in Denver would involve deferring to Jokić, whose playmaking elevates teammates. “He’s obviously going to have to defer,” the scout said. “But the thing about Jokić is he makes everybody better. I think (LaVine) will fit in fine. Jokić is so special, he makes guys better probably more than anybody in the entire league.”</p><p>Despite LaVine’s offensive prowess, concerns about his defense and his impact on winning persist. “There are a lot of naysayers, no doubt about it,” the scout acknowledged. “‘His defense is bad. He’s not a winning player, blah, blah, blah.’ You can make that argument: ‘He hasn’t really elevated the Bulls. So if he’s that good, why haven’t they been better?’ I think part of it is he just has too prominent of a role.”</p><p>LaVine’s eight-year tenure with the Bulls has <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/zach-lavine-record-with-bulls" rel="noopener">resulted in a 167-230 record</a>, according to StatsMuse. While he helped lead Chicago to the playoffs during the 2021-22 season alongside DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, the Bulls were swept in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks.</p><h2><b>Nuggets face hurdles in potential LaVine trade, with Michael Porter Jr. as key asset for Bulls</b></h2><p>For the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-denver-perfect-zach-lavine-trade-offer-to-bulls">Nuggets, acquiring LaVine would come with challenges</a>. His current five-year, $215 million contract includes three years remaining and a player option for the 2026-27 season. Denver would likely need to include forward Michael Porter Jr. in any potential deal, as Porter’s $35.9 million salary is the team’s most significant trade asset.</p><p>Porter Jr., who is averaging 18.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists this season while shooting 51.2% from the field and 38.5% from three, is under contract for two additional years at $38.3 million and $40.8 million, respectively. The Nuggets’ limited draft capital would also complicate negotiations, leaving them with only pick swaps to offer in 2026 and 2031.</p><p>“You don’t want him as your No. 1 guy. If he’s your No. 3 guy, I think you’re ahead of the game,” the scout said of LaVine. “You’re not relying on him every single night.”</p><p>As the trade deadline approaches, LaVine’s future with the Bulls remains uncertain, but his potential fit alongside Jokić in Denver continues to draw attention.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Zach LaVine’s fit with Nuggets draws eye-opening take amid trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/air-jordan-11-gamma-rumored-to-return-in-2025');   ga('set', 'title', 'Air Jordan 11 ‘Gamma’ rumored to return in 2025');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Air-Jordan-11-Gamma-rumored-to-return-in-2025.jpg"></figure><h1>Air Jordan 11 ‘Gamma’ rumored to return in 2025</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-18T13:41:21-08:00">December 18th, 1:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-18T13:41:36-08:00">December 18th, 1:41pm</time><address><a>Dominik Zawartko</a>Dominik Zawartko is a Michigan State graduate with a degree in Political Science and English. Having previously worked in the nonprofit and legal sectors, he decided to pursue his true love of writing with ClutchPoints. Dominik's hobbies include painting, cooking food, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and always having a laugh. His main focus areas are UFC coverage and all things sneakers.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bulls</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s rare to see a new colorway of any retor Air Jordan silhouette outperform the original colorways worn by Michael Jordan for the Chicago Bulls. However, once in every blue moon, a colorway comes along and captivates sneakerheads with its innovative color scheme and wearability in the streets. For the first time since 2013, we’ll see the long-awaited Air Jordan 11 “Gamma” make its first retro return.</p><p><i><b>Check our <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sneakers">Sneakers news</a> for more upcoming releases and breaking content!</b></i></p><p>Arguably seen as Michael Jordan’s most iconic signature sneaker ever, the Air Jordan 11 has captured the hearts of basketball and sneaker fans alike for their futuristic look and classic color schemes. The “<a href="https://stockx.com/jordan-11-retro-space-jams-2016">Space Jam</a>” Jordan 11 remains a favorite for all movie fans, while the “<a href="https://stockx.com/air-jordan-11-retro-concord-2018">Concord</a>” Jordan 11 is widely considered as the most recognizable Jordan sneaker of all time.</p><p>The “Gamma” colorway first released in 2013 and while met with some resistance from Air Jordan purists, the shoes have steadily become a cult classic for their exclusivity and simple, yet retro design. Making their return for the first time, fans can wait patiently and avoid some of the $400+ price tags they’re fetching on the <a href="https://stockx.com/jordan-11-retro-gamma-blue">aftermarket</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“Gamma” Air Jordan 11 returns December 2025 🥶 <a href="https://t.co/s422OzD53O">pic.twitter.com/s422OzD53O</a></p><p>— Modern Notoriety (@ModernNotoriety) <a href="https://twitter.com/ModernNotoriety/status/1864845140931547409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Air Jordan 11 “Gamma Blue” Rumored to be Returning in 2025 <a href="https://t.co/XySCakWbNz">pic.twitter.com/XySCakWbNz</a></p><p>— SneakerAlert (@SneakerAlertHD) <a href="https://twitter.com/SneakerAlertHD/status/1864846504357175301?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><br>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/air-jordan-11-bred-velvet-releasing-november-2024">Air Jordan 11</a> “Gamma” features a sleek, all-black design accented by an unmistakable Jordan Jumpman logo in gamma blue. The shoes are made with an all-black patent leather mudguard along a black mesh ballistic upper. We see what is typically a translucent outsole take the form of a darker, more opaque shade of gamme blue. Finally, the shoes are finished with Jordan’s “23” logo on the heels in Varsity Maize to complete the look.</p></figure><p>While there’s no official release date announced just yet, the shoes have been rumored by a number of sources including <a href="https://x.com/zSneakerHeadz">@zSneakerheadz</a> to be expected around the 2025 holidays. They’re expected to come with a $230 price tag, a bit of an increase from their $185 tag back in 2013. Be sure to follow our <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sneakers">Sneakers news</a> for more updates on this momentous release!</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Air Jordan 11 ‘Gamma’ rumored to return in 2025

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/ranking-best-lonzo-ball-trade-destinations-after-bulls-return');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ranking best Lonzo Ball trade destinations after Bulls return');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Ranking-best-Lonzo-Ball-trade-destinations-after-Bulls-return.jpg"></figure><h1>Ranking best Lonzo Ball trade destinations after Bulls return</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-18T10:50:54-08:00">December 18th, 10:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-18T10:50:54-08:00">December 18th, 10:50am</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and is now serving as an Associate Editor, Chicago Bulls beat writer, and Michigan football reporter at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bulls</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bulls are still in the middle of their rebuild, and it is taking longer than fans were hoping. This season is off to a rough start once again, and it’s clear that Chicago doesn’t have a team that is going to compete for a championship. The Bulls still need to make some moves to get where they want to be, and a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-lonzo-ball-joins-zach-lavine-nikola-vucevic-on-bulls-trade-block">player to watch in that regard is Lonzo Ball</a>.</p><p>Lonzo Ball went a long time without playing in the NBA because of a knee injury that kept him off the court for over two years. He was finally able to return to play this season, but he has been limited and also dealt with some new injury trouble.</p><p>Ball has only played in nine games this year as a wrist injury has been a problem for him. When he has played, he is getting limited minutes as he is still easing his way back in after his lengthy absence from his knee injury.</p><p>In nine games this year, Ball is averaging 17 minutes per game. He is also averaging 5.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG and 3.4 APG. He is shooting 37.2% from the floor and 34.3% from deep.</p><p>The issues that Lonzo Ball has had with injuries will certainly have an impact on his trade value. Ball has been a good player in the NBA when he is healthy, but he hasn’t been healthy in a long time. He missed the previous two seasons and he is immediately dealing with a new injury while still dealing with the last one. That definitely isn’t a positive.</p><p>Ball is having some injury trouble, but there are still a lot of rumors swirling about a potential trade. If his value isn’t as high, this might be a good chance for a team to come in and pick him up. Here are some potential destinations.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Lonzo-Ball.jpg"><figcaption>© Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h2><b>Milwaukee Bucks</b></h2><p>One team to watch for Lonzo Ball is the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks got off to a slow start this season but they have settled in and are starting to look better. Milwaukee is now 14-11 and they have been looking like the team that everyone expected them to be.</p><p>If the Bucks want to win another championship, they probably need to do something differently as things haven’t worked out the last couple years. Ball could be a valuable addition for them and he would likely be a fan of going to a team that could have a potential playoff run.</p><h2><b>Phoenix Suns</b></h2><p>Another team to watch here is the Phoenix Suns. The Suns have had some elite talent for a while, but they haven’t been able to get over the hump. They have Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, but it looks like they might need one more piece. Ball could end up being a valuable addition to the team if he can join and stay healthy.</p><h2><b>Philadelphia 76ers</b></h2><p>Lastly, the 76ers could be a good fit as they have been battling some injury trouble themselves. Obviously bringing in another player that has been struggling with injuries wouldn’t be ideal, but hopefully Ball can stay healthy on a consistent basis as the season goes on.</p><p>Lonzo Ball hasn’t been able to play a lot this season, but it will be interesting to see how his draft stock changes in the coming months before the trade deadline as he can hopefully start to play more.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ranking best Lonzo Ball trade destinations after Bulls return

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-nuggets-targeting-zach-lavine-trade-to-pair-with-nikola-jokic');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Nuggets targeting Zach LaVine trade to pair with Nikola Jokic');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NBA-rumors-Nuggets-targeting-Zach-LaVine-trade-to-pair-with-Nikola-Jokic.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Nuggets targeting Zach LaVine trade to pair with Nikola Jokic</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-17T19:15:17-08:00">December 17th, 7:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-18T06:54:11-08:00">December 18th, 6:54am</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a multifaceted writer who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bulls</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2024 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-critics-on-michael-malone">Denver Nuggets have been rather disappointing versus expectations</a>, right?</p><p>Now, sure, they aren’t the Philadelphia 76ers or some other poor squad that can’t seem to find a win despite adding incredible talent to their roster over the offseason, but after<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-mistake-nuggets-made-with-kentavious-caldwell-pope"> saying goodbye to Kardavious Caldwell-Pope</a> during the offseason, the Nuggets have been treading water in the Western Conference, clearly behind the top teams but not so bad that they could approach a rebuild.</p><p>Could the Nuggets catch fire and go on a run? Sure, but they might just need some help to get there, with the dynamic duo of Tony Jones and Sam Amick discussing some potential options the team could pursue based on their reporting.</p><p>One name to keep an eye on in the Mile High City? Zach LaVine, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6002502/2024/12/17/zach-lavine-trade-rumors-nuggets/" rel="noopener">highest-paid player</a> on the Chicago Bulls, has been on the block for what feels like two years now since the team low-key started to pursue a youth movement around players like Coby White and Josh Giddey.</p><p>“With the NBA’s trade window opening this past weekend, and with the trade deadline less than two months away, the Nuggets are canvassing the league in pursuit of a player who can offer significant help offensively, league sources tell <i>The Athletic</i>,” Tony Jones and Sam Amick wrote for The Athletic.</p><p>“As a result, the Nuggets have either expressed interest in or have had preliminary trade discussions on the following players: Chicago’s Zach LaVine, Washington’s Jordan Poole, Utah’s Jordan Clarkson, Atlanta’s De’Andre Hunter, Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson, and Washington’s Jonas Valančiūnas.”</p><p>Alright, while that collection of players is incredibly eclectic, ranging from guards to wings and even a center for good measure, the idea of bringing LaVine to Denver is a very interesting one for more reasons than one.</p><p>On the one hand, LaVine is a good scoring guard who could likely play a similar style to long-time point guard Jamal Murray in the two-man offensive game. He can score from all three levels and is a beast in the fast break, where he could benefit from some Jokic deep passes Bo Nix-style.</p><p>And yet, LaVine is also a poor defender who does pretty much the opposite of what the KCP used to bring to the table. He would certainly start on the team next to Murray and Michael Porter Jr., but his defensive struggles might provide more harm than good for the Nuggets, as opposing teams would almost certainly target him down the stretch in playoff games, where his position could be exploited.</p><p>Factor in the contractual situation, as Lavine is <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/15365/zach-lavine" rel="noopener">making $43 million this season</a>, almost $46 million next year, and nearly $49 million in 2026-27, and the idea of bringing the UCLA product to town feels incredibly unlikely, unless, of course, Denver wants to send MPJ to Chicago to move off of his contract too. And yet, the Nuggets wouldn’t be having conversations with the Bulls about LaVine if they didn’t think he could help them out, so hey, you never really know: maybe the two teams could make a deal before the deadline, and every other team will have to adjust to this new NBA.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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