<!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-bulls-to-introduce-intriguing-new-play-style-in-2024-25-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Bulls to introduce intriguing new play style in 2024-25 season');   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/2024/09/NBA-rumors-Bulls-to-introduce-intriguing-new-play-style-in-2024-25-season.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Bulls to introduce intriguing new play style in 2024-25 season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-23T20:33:42-07:00">September 23rd, 8:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-23T20:33:42-07:00">September 23rd, 8:33pm</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">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2024-25 season is shaping up to be an exciting one for the Chicago Bulls, even though their performances on the court aren’t likely to result in too much winning. They have finally decided not to tread the line of mediocrity, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/why-the-chicago-bulls-waited-so-long-to-rebuild-roster">embracing the youth movement</a> by letting DeMar DeRozan go in free agency and trading Alex Caruso away for Josh Giddey, and now, the Bulls are looking to start the process of building a contending team all over again.</p><p>At the very least, the Bulls can forge for themselves a style of play that they will embrace moving forward in their build to return to playoff contention. Given the youth and athleticism on the roster, expect head coach Billy Donovan to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5786185/2024/09/23/zach-lavine-lonzo-ball-bulls-nba/?redirected=1" rel="noopener">install a system</a> that makes the most out of the personnel they have at their disposal.</p><p>“Look for the Bulls to unveil a new playing style this season, a more up-tempo offense and a twist on the defensive scheme, one that will shift the focus from defending the paint to protecting the 3-point line,” wrote Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. “The Bulls allowed 39.5 3-point attempts per game last season, which ranked last. Two seasons ago, the Bulls yielded 37.1 3-pointers on average, which ranked 29th.”</p><p>Indeed, having young legs up and down the roster will help the Bulls cover more ground on both ends of the floor. One of the main players they are hoping will thrive <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-biggest-matas-buzelis-concern-after-summer-league">playing under a breakneck pace</a> is rookie forward Matas Buzelis, who “has impressed with his passing and ability to attack the rim” during the team’s minicamp.</p><p>They are also looking to swing the math equation in their favor by allowing fewer good looks from three, and their athleticism around the perimeter should help them get to the right spots more quickly. This is key for a Bulls team that will be punching above their weight class on most nights.</p><p>It may take a while for the Bulls to return to proper contending ways. But if there’s a year for them to bottom out, it’s this one, especially with Cooper Flagg awaiting the team that wins the draft lottery next year.</p><h2>Bulls regain youthful stride</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Coby-White.jpg"></figure><p>The Bulls have embraced the youth movement, but not fully quite yet. They still have Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic around as remnants of a contending era gone by, although at this point, it’s not quite clear which team will pursue either of those players on the trade market. For all intents and purposes, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-news-zach-lavine-vow-chicago-rumored-rift-trade-talks">both LaVine and Vucevic seem to be stuck</a> in the Windy City.</p><p>Regardless, there are plenty of young players who could perhaps play their way into the Bulls’ long-term plans. Coby White is a given in that regard given how well he played last year as the team’s lead guard, but Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis, in particular, appear to have very bright futures with the team.</p><p>Giddey’s stock has fallen off a cliff following a rough 2023-24 season in which he found himself marginalized with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he figures to be a featured playmaker once again — getting the most out of his strengths as a player.</p><p>Other than White, Giddey, and Buzelis, the Bulls have Patrick Williams, Ayo Dosunmu, Jalen Smith, Talen Horton-Tucker, and Dalen Terry as under-25 players who could very well get better with the bigger opportunity heading their way.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Bulls to introduce intriguing new play style in 2024-25 season

<!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-vow-chicago-rumored-rift-trade-talks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Zach LaVine’s ‘vow’ to Bulls amid rumored rift, 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/2024/09/Bulls-news-Zach-LaVines-vow-to-Chicago-amid-rumored-rift-trade-talks.jpg"></figure><h1>Zach LaVine’s ‘vow’ to Bulls amid rumored rift, trade talks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-23T07:43:18-07:00">September 23rd, 7:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-23T07:44:00-07:00">September 23rd, 7:44am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>What direction are the Chicago Bulls heading in as the 2024-25 NBA season approaches? This is a question many are paying attention to in the Eastern Conference. After trading the likes of Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan — by way of sign-and-trade — this summer, the Bulls appear to have taken a step back in hopes of finally regaining the championship potential they had when Derrick Rose was leading the team close to a decade ago. Even with a handful of youthful, inexperienced players looking like the future of the organization, All-Stars Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic remain in Chicago for the time being.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/how-josh-giddey-lonzo-ball-can-salvage-zach-lavine-bulls-trade-value">LaVine finds himself in a very unique situation</a> entering the new season. Over the last seven seasons with the Bulls, LaVine has been his team’s primary scorer and offensive weapon, resulting in two All-Star appearances during this span. However, tensions between the star and the organization over the last year have fractured this relationship, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-bulls-resigned-to-zach-lavine-being-on-roster-to-start-season">resulting in LaVine wanting to be traded</a>. The only problem is that his value declined drastically due to his $215 million contract, and the Bulls have been unwilling to attach assets in a trade to unload him.</p><p>So, where do the two sides stand with training camp right around the corner?</p><p>It is always hard to imagine star players mending a broken relationship with their organization, especially in today’s age of sports, but that appears to be exactly what is happening with LaVine and the Bulls. In fact, LaVine has been willing to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5786185/2024/09/23/zach-lavine-lonzo-ball-bulls-nba/">participate</a> in team activities this offseason, and he even joined a majority of the team in Miami last month for a player-organized minicamp, according to The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry.</p><p>LaVine, who saw his 2023-24 campaign end early after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-news-zach-lavine-to-undergo-season-ending-foot-surgery">undergoing right foot surgery in February</a>, appears to be willing to embrace the role of being the veteran leader for what has suddenly become a younger, less experienced Bulls team. His presence at the players-only camp prior to the team’s official training camp is notable, as is his commitment to playing despite the organization not giving into his trade demands over the course of the last season.</p><p>The future of the Bulls will be carved during the 2024-25 season. There is no telling what players are a part of this franchise’s future and what is in store for head coach Billy Donovan as he begins his fifth season in Chicago, but the one thing that appears certain is LaVine’s commitment before training camp. In fact, as Mayberry states, LaVine has vowed not to overstep or interfere with the development of the Bulls’ young players during the 2024-25 season.</p><p>Whether or not this holds true, especially when his minutes change during the regular season, will be the ultimate test for LaVine.</p><p>The 25 games LaVine played in last season were the fewest of his career in a single season. He managed to average only 19.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game as a result. The Bulls certainly have talent on their roster, despite their inexperience, and LaVine can still guide the way for this franchise at 29 years old. As long as he remains committed to his team’s vision, LaVine could potentially bounce back in a huge way.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Zach LaVine’s ‘vow’ to Bulls amid rumored rift, 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', '/bulls-news-nikola-vucevic-vocal-on-trade-rumors-amid-chicago-rebuild');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nikola Vucevic vocal on trade rumors amid Bulls 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/2024/09/Bulls-news-Nikola-Vucevic-vocal-on-trade-rumors-amid-Chicago-rebuild.jpg"></figure><h1>Nikola Vucevic vocal on trade rumors amid Bulls rebuild</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-06T22:07:13-07:00">September 6th, 10:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-06T22:07:13-07:00">September 6th, 10:07pm</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">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bulls have finally decided to stop living in denial. Earlier this offseason, they faced the fact that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-next-trades-bulls-want-make-demar-derozans-kings-deal">a rebuild is necessary</a> to put an end to the cycle of mediocrity they’ve been in over the past few seasons, and as a result, they traded away Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Josh Giddey and then they let DeMar DeRozan go to the Sacramento Kings in free agency via a sign-and-trade.</p><p>But it doesn’t appear as though the Bulls are done making moves. They still have a few veteran players on the roster who could be of help to winning teams, such as Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. But at this point, Vucevic is <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/going-one-on-one-and-discussing-all" rel="noopener">already completely numb</a> to his involvement in trade rumors, as it feels as though he hasn’t been off the trade block in quite some time.</p><p>“I mean, honestly, I’m used to it at this point. Since I’ve been with the Bulls, I’ve been in a lot of trade stories, especially last summer as well throughout last season. So it’s just part of it,” Vucevic said in an interview with NBA insider Marc Stein.</p><p>Nikola Vucevic acknowledged that being a veteran player who’s already 33 years of age on a rebuilding team makes him a magnet for trade rumors. The Bulls, of course, did not envision that things would go the way they have over the past two seasons. Losing Lonzo Ball was the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-news-lonzo-ball-best-pg-declaration-before-injury-problems">beginning of the end for Chicago</a>, as they couldn’t get back to being a consistent winning team following his knee troubles.</p><p>“Like I said before, if things were going well and we’re winning and everything was great, that wouldn’t be the case. But because things weren’t going that well, we weren’t winning and we weren’t achieving our goals, then obviously change is bound to happen,” Vucevic added.</p><p>But at the end of the day, everything is a business for Vucevic, and nothing would surprise him anymore. After all, change is simply embedded within the nature of the NBA.</p><p>“Honestly, I know it’s a pretty basic answer, but you don’t have much control over it, so you kind of just wait and see. If they decide to change and trade me, it’s on them to do. Just like a year and a half ago I was a free agent and I could have chosen to go elsewhere. It’s just the way this business works and so now we’ll see.”</p><h2>Can Bulls center Nikola Vucevic still contribute to winning basketball?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bulls-guard-Lonzo-Ball-2-center-Nikola-Vucevic-9-guard-Zach-LaVine-8-and-forward-DeMar-DeRozan-11-pose.jpg"></figure><p>Over the past decade or so, Nikola Vucevic has been one of the most consistent double-double threats in the entire association. But Vucevic’s playstyle hasn’t exactly led to much success. The Orlando Magic were a fringe playoff team for most of his tenure, which is why it was a bit confounding when the Bulls traded a plethora of quality assets — including Wendell Carter Jr. and the draft pick that became Franz Wagner — for the Montenegrin big man.</p><p>Vucevic has been in clear decline; like with Zach LaVine, the Bulls may not get too many assets in exchange for the 33-year-old big man, if any at all. The Memphis Grizzlies may be the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/best-nikola-vucevic-trade-destinations-if-bulls-rebuild">most logical trade partner</a> for Vucevic, as they have Jaren Jackson Jr. to help cover for whatever deficiencies Vucevic may have on the defensive end of the floor.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nikola Vucevic vocal on trade rumors amid Bulls rebuild

<!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-bulls-resigned-to-zach-lavine-being-on-roster-to-start-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Bulls ‘resigned’ to Zach LaVine being on roster to start season');   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/2024/07/Bulls-Zach-LaVine.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Bulls ‘resigned’ to Zach LaVine being on roster to start season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-29T08:28:05-07:00">July 29th, 8:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-29T08:28:05-07:00">July 29th, 8:28am</time><address><a>Sam DiGiovanni</a>Sam DiGiovanni started at ClutchPoints as an associate editor in 2021 and became the site's Philadelphia 76ers beat reporter ahead of the 2022-23 season. He graduated from Marist College in May of 2022 and has written for TheKnicksWall.com and CenterFieldMarist.com in the past.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bulls appear to be done making moves in the 2024 NBA offseason. That includes trying to move on from Zach LaVine. Finding a team to take on the former All-Star has been a fruitless endeavor so far.</p><p>After years of losing and amid an offseason that has seen the departure of key players like DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso, LaVine <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-zach-lavines-trust-issue-a-big-reason-for-bulls-trade-desires">doesn’t really love</a> being with the Bulls right now. Getting younger and committing more to a rebuild is the right move for Chicago after years stuck in mediocrity but it understandably doesn’t sit right with a 29-year-old like LaVine.</p><p>The Bulls are done trying to kid themselves into thinking someone will trade for LaVine without also receiving mountains of draft assets. They know LaVine will be there <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-nbas-longest-running-active-trade?utm_campaign=email-post&amp;r=5mu3w&amp;utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">on the roster to start the season</a>, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.</p><p>Stein writes the following: “League sources say that the Bulls are thus resigned to fact that they will likely be forced to start the new season with LaVine on the roster and take it a step further by trying to help him rebuild some trade value after months of fruitless efforts to find a new home via trade — and after a foot injury and eventual surgery limited the 29-year-old to 25 games last season.”</p><h2><b>Bulls going to keep Zach LaVine heading </b></h2><p>The Bulls didn’t miss last year’s version of LaVine, who wasn’t very good even when he was healthy. The concerns about his season-ending foot injury will linger, as well. But when LaVine is at his best, he’s a spectacular scorer who can keep the ball moving when he attacks defenses.</p><p>Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and Coby White — all young players who can score and pass at varying levels — will need some help as they try to develop. If LaVine bounces back to being the high-octane scorer he was previously, they’ll each have someone to lean on and relieve them of defensive pressure. Right now, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-bulls-get-concerning-zach-lavine-nikola-vucevic-trade-market-updates">the trade markets</a> for him and fellow veteran Nikola Vucevic are dismal. That could change with a hot start to next season, though LaVine’s massive contract will remain an obstacle.</p><p>LaVine may not be thrilled with the Bulls right now but trying to play his very best basketball only helps everyone. It means LaVine can be traded to a new team sooner, it will help Chicago get a better return for him and it will leave both sides splitting up on friendly terms.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Bulls ‘resigned’ to Zach LaVine being on roster to start season

<!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-zach-lavines-trust-issue-a-big-reason-for-bulls-trade-desires');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Zach LaVine’s trust issue a big reason for Bulls’ trade desires');   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/2024/07/NBA-rumors-Zach-LaVines-trust-issue-a-big-reason-for-Bulls-trade-desires.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Zach LaVine’s trust issue a big reason for Bulls’ trade desires</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-15T21:14:40-07:00">July 15th, 9:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-15T22:46:48-07:00">July 15th, 10:46pm</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">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bulls have finally bitten the bullet and pivoted towards a head-on youth movement. They traded away Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey earlier in the offseason, and they dealt DeMar DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings in a sign-and-trade for two second-round picks — disappointing given how much they could have gotten had they traded those two earlier, but better late than never in that regard. However, Zach LaVine is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-news-arturas-karnisovas-reveals-zach-lavine-expectations-amid-failed-trade-attempts">still a Bulls player</a> — much to the frustration of all parties involved, if the latest reports are any indication.</p><p>The Bulls’ desire to trade LaVine away is no secret; he simply doesn’t make too much sense on a team that’s looking to boost their odds in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. Moreover, Chicago wants to offload the $138 million left on his contract that runs for three more seasons.</p><p>But Zach LaVine also <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/bulls/2024/07/15/bulls-and-zach-lavine-headed-to-dysfunction-without-buffer" rel="noopener">doesn’t trust</a> the Bulls front office and coaching staff fully, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times, and this further incentivizes the team to trade him away in fear that him sticking around could lead to a “dysfunctional locker room,” with LaVine “poisoning the well that the younger players are drinking from”.</p><p>This situation has the potential to turn toxic, although LaVine isn’t exactly someone who kicks up too big of a fuss. But for both LaVine and the Bulls’ sake, a break-up appears to be the best course of action. Now, if only there was a team out there that is willing to absorb LaVine and the hefty financial commitment that comes with trading for him.</p><h2><b>Zach LaVine stuck with the Bulls?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Zach-LaVine-injured.jpg"></figure><p>At this point, the Bulls may have no choice but to try and rehabilitate their relationship with Zach LaVine, as it’s looking like there isn’t a team in the NBA that’s willing to be their dance partner in a trade. The new CBA has made it very difficult for teams to stockpile huge contracts like LaVine’s, as it puts them in a choke hold, roster-building wise.</p><p>A player making <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/15365/zach-lavine" rel="noopener">around $46 million</a> per year on average is expected to either be a primary option on a contending team or someone who could provide high-level support for a team with championship aspirations. LaVine could have been that player if he were at his best. However, a down 2023-24 season means that his stock is very low, and win-now teams are instead looking elsewhere (Utah Jazz and Lauri Markkanen, for instance) to acquire a lineup upgrade.</p><p>The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked with LaVine, but they appear to be saving their chips for a better and healthier star player. They have been one of the most passive teams this offseason, and LaVine isn’t exactly someone that they’ll be pushing their chips to the table for.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-warriors-rejected-bulls-zach-lavine-trade-offer-before-waiving-chris-paul">Bulls have already offered</a> LaVine to the Golden State Warriors earlier in the offseason for the non-guaranteed contract of Chris Paul, and they were rebuffed in their overtures. Meanwhile, the Pistons, another team interested in LaVine, have already made their moves, bringing back Tobias Harris and re-signing Simone Fontecchio in free agency, as well as picking up sharpshooters Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. to address their roster’s biggest need.</p><p>Acquiring two second-round picks in the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade may be a positive, but at this point, it’s looking like the Bulls will have to attach a first-round pick just to get off of LaVine’s contract.</p><h2><b>Bounce-back season incoming for Zach LaVine?</b></h2><p>His trade value being at the lowest it has been for quite some time should light a fire underneath Zach LaVine, especially when it’s this very reality that’s preventing him from finding a new team. LaVine suffered through injuries throughout the 2023-24 season, limiting him to just 19.5 points per game — his worst output since the 2017-18 season — and in February, he went under the knife to address his foot injury, ending his season.</p><p>One of the main selling points of LaVine’s game is his athleticism, so for him to suffer a foot injury, possibly sapping him of what makes him the stellar player he once was, is scary. But his hopes of finding a new team will hinge on his ability to return to form, so he will have to set that distrust of the Bulls front office and coaching staff aside and play ball with them, for the betterment of all parties.</p><p>LaVine figures to be the starting small forward now for the Bulls, playing alongside Coby White, Josh Giddey, Patrick Williams, and Nikola Vucevic in the starting lineup. With a talented playmaker in Giddey by his side, a bounce-back season may not be too far away from the 29-year-old former two-time Slam Dunk Contest champion.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Zach LaVine’s trust issue a big reason for Bulls’ trade desires

<!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-bulls-get-concerning-zach-lavine-nikola-vucevic-trade-market-updates');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Bulls get concerning Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic trade market updates');   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/2024/07/Bulls-get-concerning-Zach-LaVine-Nikola-Vucevic-trade-market-updates.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Bulls get concerning Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic trade market updates</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-14T14:34:53-07:00">July 14th, 2:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-14T14:34:53-07:00">July 14th, 2:34pm</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bulls and president Arturas Karnisovas have made some moves that signal the organization shifting to a long-term vision in the next season, but it seems they are still trying to move Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. It does not seem like there is <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/bulls/2024/07/14/offseason-grades-coming-in-arturas-karnisovas-and-the-bulls" rel="noopener">much of a market</a> when it comes to a trade for either LaVine or Vucevic, however.</p><p>“The Growing concerns, however, are that possible destinations for LaVine seemingly have dried up and that there is still no market for Vucevic at age 22 and $41 million-plus guaranteed over the next two seasons,” Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times wrote.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nikola-vucevic-trade-bulls-must-make-demar-derozan-kings">The Bulls believed</a> they were bringing in a creative leader with Karnisovas, and he displayed that with the trade of Alex Caruso, bringing in a younger player with more offensive upside in Josh Giddey in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The DeMar DeRozan saga with the Bulls came to an end after a sign-and-trade with the Sacramento Kings.</p><p>There have been rumors about a trade of LaVine for multiple years, but none have come to fruition. In the prior year or two, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-how-bulls-demar-derozan-trade-could-help-them-move-zach-lavine">Bulls fans had</a> been frustrated with the organization delaying a tear down and rebuild, and LaVine was one of the main pieces. There have been rumors regarding him going to the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors in recent months, but nothing has actually taken place. There is still time to get a move done, but as teams moved on and made other moves to execute their offseason plans, trade destinations came off the board due to the lack of flexibility some teams have as a result.</p><p>LaVine could bring value in a certain situation, but with teams crossed off the board when it comes to trade destinations, the return that the Bulls get for him in a hypothetical trade might not come close to what fans were dreaming of in the last year or so. As noted by Cowley as well, the Bulls do not seem to be likely to get much back in a trade involving Nikola Vucevic, if one is able to be executed between now and the start of the season.</p><h2><b>Bulls still need to fully embrace rebuild</b></h2><p>As noted before, the Bulls made moves with DeRozan and Caruso to offload salary and get a younger player that they like in Josh Giddey. The Caruso move was criticized, but Giddey’s age fits the Bulls’ timeline much better. Now, it is up to Karnisovas to get moves done for LaVine and Vucevic, whether that be by the start of the season or at the very least by the NBA Trade Deadline next season.</p><p>Holding onto LaVine and Vucevic could hurt Chicago’s long-term vision as well, as it could inflate the win total next season. That would lower the Bulls’ odds in the draft lottery and potentially have them picking lower in the first round than they would like so they can land high-upside talent.</p><p>It will be interesting to see if Karnisovas can come up with a move to offload the two veterans. Until then, this offseason feels incomplete for the Bulls.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Bulls get concerning Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic trade market updates

<!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-fires-off-cryptic-post-amid-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bulls’ Zach LaVine fires off cryptic post 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/2024/07/Zach-LaVine-fires-off-cryptic-post-amid-trade-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>Bulls’ Zach LaVine fires off cryptic post amid trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-10T10:56:30-07:00">July 10th, 10:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-10T10:56:30-07:00">July 10th, 10:56am</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 the University of Southern California and is now serving as an Associate Editor and Chicago Bulls beat writer at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bulls have been pretty active this offseason, which is something that their fans aren’t very used to. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kings-news-demar-derozan-reveals-final-decision-for-sacramento-jersey-number">The Bulls have made</a> a couple of trades and they will not have Alex Caruso or DeMar DeRozan back next season. However, one player that hasn’t been traded yet is Zach LaVine. LaVine is the one that everyone is expecting to be traded, but right now, he is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/demar-derozans-farewell-message-to-bulls-features-nightmares-warning">with the Bulls</a>. There is a good chance that trade still happens.</p><p>Zach LaVine was also expected to be traded during the regular season, but it never happened. He dealt with a couple of injuries during the early parts of the season, and he ended up opting for season-ending surgery shortly before the trade deadline. Because of that, the trade never happened, and he remained on the sidelines for the Bulls for the rest of the season.</p><p>Trade rumors are once again swirling for LaVine, and he recently posted an interesting message to Twitter as those rumors heat up.</p><p>“Stay present 🔒 in,” LaVine <a href="https://x.com/ZachLaVine/status/1810927610005987386" rel="noopener">said in a tweet</a>.</p><p>This is a big offseason for LaVine and his NBA career. He knows that he could end up anywhere next year, and it sounds like he is focused on the present and not worried about the big picture and the what ifs that are looming. LaVine is recovering from surgery and he wants to be able to be at his best for whatever team he is on next season.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Zach-LaVine.jpg"><figcaption>© Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h2><b>A lot of fan bases want Zach LaVine on their team</b></h2><p>A lot of fans took to the comments of that tweet and showed Zach LaVine some love. Things haven’t really worked out for LaVine in Chicago, but he is still a tremendous NBA talent, and there are a lot of teams that want him. One fan base that showed up in the comments is the Los Angeles Clippers.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">We need you bro, come to the Clippers <a href="https://t.co/oVg8N4eHfm">pic.twitter.com/oVg8N4eHfm</a></p><p>— ᴅ ʀ ᴇ ᴡ (@FeelLikeDrew) <a href="https://twitter.com/FeelLikeDrew/status/1811005223843848570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Another interesting fit for LaVine would be the Miami Heat. There are some Heat fans in the comments as well that are trying to help sway him to Miami.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Zach jimmy bam we will be there 👀 <a href="https://t.co/LpScvzKHky">pic.twitter.com/LpScvzKHky</a></p><p>— KEE⚡️ (@playoffskee) <a href="https://twitter.com/playoffskee/status/1810942044048871468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Golden State Warriors just lost Klay Thompson as he is now with the Dallas Mavericks. They could be looking to make a big signing now, and there are some Warriors fans that want the team to sign LaVine.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Stay healthy for the Warriors this year 🙏</p><p>— COMEDIAN GAMBLER (@COMEDIANGAMBLER) <a href="https://twitter.com/COMEDIANGAMBLER/status/1811016560430944543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>While things haven’t gone particularly well for Zach LaVine and the Bulls, there are still fans in Chicago that want the team to keep him around. It doesn’t seem like this is very likely right now, but you never know.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I want the bulls to keep you bro</p><p>— GreenWrld (@GreenwrldY) <a href="https://twitter.com/GreenwrldY/status/1811029286934982659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>There is still a lot of time left in the NBA offseason, and there will likely be a lot of big trades from until the start of the season. Zach LaVine is expected to be involved in one of those trades. The Bulls said that they were going to be making changes this offseason, and they have already made some. However, you have to think that more are coming, and a lot of people are assuming that LaVine will not be back next season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bulls’ Zach LaVine fires off cryptic post 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', '/nba-rumors-how-bulls-demar-derozan-trade-could-help-them-move-zach-lavine');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: How Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan trade could help them move Zach LaVine');   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/2024/07/NBA-rumors-How-Bulls-DeMar-DeRozan-trade-could-help-them-move-Zach-LaVine.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: How Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan trade could help them move Zach LaVine</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-09T09:07:45-07:00">July 9th, 9:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-09T09:07:45-07:00">July 9th, 9:07am</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">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After two seasons of wandering aimlessly, the Chicago Bulls are pivoting towards a rebuild. They moved Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Josh Giddey, adding a young guard who averaged 17-8-6 in his sophomore season, and then this proved to be the final straw for DeMar DeRozan, who angled for an exit towards the Sacramento Kings via sign-and-trade. The next order of business for the Bulls is to continue to shop <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/zach-lavine-trade-bulls-must-make-after-demar-derozan-goes-to-kings">Zach LaVine in the trade market</a>.</p><p>Alas, the market for LaVine continues to be lukewarm at best, with teams being hesitant to pull the trigger on adding the 29-year-old wing due to the huge contract that he’s owed. Nonetheless, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grading-kings-bulls-spurs-demar-derozan-trade">DeRozan sign-and-trade agreement</a> with the Kings and San Antonio Spurs could end up helping the Bulls in their ongoing quest to trade LaVine.</p><p>The Bulls received Chris Duarte and two second-round picks in the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade, and these two draft picks could <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/bulls/2024/07/08/bulls-make-three-team-deal-official-acquiring-chris-duarte" rel="noopener">help them unload</a> Zach LaVine’s contract, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. Still, Cowley clarified, any potential LaVine trade is a “long shot” since the “market has been screaming for over a year that there is not a lot of interest” in the former Slam Dunk Contest champion.</p><p>In a vacuum, LaVine could be helpful for any team, whether it’s a rebuilding or contending one and everything in between. LaVine’s injury problems are a huge concern, but this is a player who has averaged 24.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists throughout his seven-year tenure with the Bulls. Even in a down 2023-24 campaign, LaVine averaged 20/5/4, although those numbers came on reduced efficiency.</p><p>The huge elephant in the room remains the <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/15365/zach-lavine#:~:text=Zach%20LaVine%20signed%20a%205,dead%20cap%20value%20of%20%2443%2C031%2C940." rel="noopener">$138 million or so</a> that’s owed Zach LaVine for the next three seasons. The new CBA rules have made taking on huge contracts such as LaVine’s that much more difficult, as crossing the second tax apron would impose a ton of roster-building constraints that teams don’t like to be subject to. Chicago may have to stock up on more than two second-round picks if they want to unload LaVine’s monster deal.</p><h2>The Bulls might be stuck with Zach LaVine</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Zach-LaVine-on-the-bench-for-a-Bulls-game-in-street-clothes-on-April-5-2024.jpeg"></figure><p>Zach LaVine has been the subject of plenty of trade rumors over the past two seasons. LaVine has been linked with teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, and even the Golden State Warriors, but the Bulls have failed to find a suitable deal.</p><p>The reality is setting in for the Bulls; not only can they not acquire first-round picks in a LaVine trade, they may have to be the party that gives away draft capital just to be able to trade him away. Now, things can change if LaVine manages to bounce back in the 2024-25 season, which could then make a potential trade easier.</p><p>The Lakers are always in the business of acquiring stars, and a bounce-back season from LaVine (a return to 25/4/5 on good percentages isn’t out of the realm of possibility) could make him that much more enticing of a piece to acquire. LA should have the salary filler to match LaVine’s contract; a trade is contingent on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-why-zach-lavine-lakers-unlikely-despite-previous-intrigue">how desperate the Lakers get</a> amid an offseason in which they failed to add any of their primary targets in free agency.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Pistons have already added a few pieces to their 14-win team that they may no longer be in the running for LaVine. They added Tobias Harris on a two-year, $52 million deal, acquired sharpshooters Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley, and brought back Simone Fontecchio. The Pistons now have more floor-spacers and size on the wing, and it <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/perfect-zach-lavine-trade-pistons-must-offer-bulls">doesn’t make too much sense</a> for them to trade for the Bulls wing anymore.</p><p>And then there’s the Warriors; they may have lost Klay Thompson in free agency, but they replaced Thompson with De’Anthony Melton and Buddy Hield. They also reportedly turned down a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-warriors-rejected-bulls-zach-lavine-trade-offer-before-waiving-chris-paul">trade proposal from the Bulls</a> in late June centered on the non-guaranteed contract of Chris Paul, which means that they value future financial flexibility over the possibility of adding LaVine.</p><p>At this point, there may not be a team in the association that has a need for LaVine and has the salary to trade away. He could be good on the Denver Nuggets, but the Nuggets have no contracts to build an offer around. They also let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk, and he signed for $22 million a year — or around half of what LaVine is making. The Houston Rockets are star-hunting, but they’re aiming for a player of Kevin Durant’s caliber, and LaVine sits multiple tiers below Durant’s level.</p><p>The Miami Heat are always a team to watch out for, but is LaVine that much better than Tyler Herro to warrant a seismic change? The Bulls may be forced to hold on to LaVine due to the lack of realistic suitors for the 29-year-old.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: How Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan trade could help them move Zach LaVine

<!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-next-trades-bulls-want-make-demar-derozans-kings-deal');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: The next trades Bulls want to make after DeMar DeRozan’s Kings deal');   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/2024/07/The-next-trades-Bulls-want-to-make-after-DeMar-DeRozans-Kings-deal.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: The next trades Bulls want to make after DeMar DeRozan’s Kings deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-07T07:42:58-07:00">July 7th, 7:42am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-07T08:43:33-07:00">July 7th, 8:43am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management and for a while ran his own sports website. Sports are his passion, and he thoroughly enjoys writing about thoughts and opinions that are related to the game. He has been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston and loves discussing all topics surrounding those teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bulls are officially rebuilding. After failing to win with their big three of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic, the Bulls continued their rebuild by sending DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings in a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kings-land-demar-derozan-in-sign-and-trade-deal">sign-and-trade</a> on Saturday night. It was an admission of failure by the front office and the latest move to reshape the team after the Alex Caruso trade a few weeks ago.</p><p>With DeRozan and Caruso already having been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-bulls-thunder-alex-caruso-josh-giddey-trade">traded</a>, it looks like more moves could be on the way soon for Chicago as they shift gears and rebuild their roster. In the aftermath of their DeRozan deal, rumors quickly began circulating that suggested that the team was <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/bulls/2024/07/06/bulls-send-demar-derozan-sacramento-three-team-sign-trade" rel="noopener">looking to move</a> on from both LaVine and Vucevic now, which would result in a full-scale fire sale for the the Bulls.</p><p>“That doesn’t mean his work is done. The Bulls continue to shop Zach LaVine aggressively and have been looking for a new home for Nikola Vucevic.” – Joe Cowley, Chicago Sun Times</p><h2><b>Bulls looking to blow things up after DeMar DeRozan deal</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Zach-LaVine-and-Nikola-Vucevic.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>While DeRozan initially wanted to return to the Bulls, they signaled that they were intending on rebuilding when they traded Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Josh Giddey. That led to DeRozan seeking a new home in a free agency, and now that he’s gone, LaVine and Vucevic could follow him out the exit door.</p><p>Chicago has been trying to trade LaVine for a while, but it has been a difficult process. LaVine’s recent injury history and mammoth contract (owed nearly $140 million over the next three years) have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-bulls-cant-even-give-away-zach-lavine-trade">sapped his value</a> on the trade market, but he’s still a good player when healthy and could help the right team. Vucevic isn’t the player he once was but is still productive at 33 years old.</p><p>Just because these three guys couldn’t make it work during their time together doesn’t mean they don’t have value. DeRozan had a career renaissance during his time in Chicago, LaVine proved he could hold his own alongside star teammates, and Vucevic put up consistent double-doubles, even as his role wavered at times alongside these two stars.</p><p>The fact that DeRozan got moved shows that the Bulls mean business when it comes to this potential fire sale, and teams across the league will surely take note of two former All-Stars potentially hitting the trade block. Where there’s smoke, there’s often fire, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see this situation heat up over the next few days.</p><p>For now, the Bulls are going to be regrouping after they have officially moved DeRozan, but it looks like their efforts to move LaVine and Vucevic are already well underway. It will be interesting to see what ends up transpiring as a result of this situation, but it wouldn’t be too surprising to see LaVine and Vucevic end up being on the move in the near future as well.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: The next trades Bulls want to make after DeMar DeRozan’s Kings deal

<!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-kings-take-big-step-their-demar-derozan-pursuit');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Kings take big step in their DeMar DeRozan pursuit');   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/2024/07/NBA-rumors-Kings-take-big-step-in-their-DeMar-DeRozan-pursuit.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Kings take big step in their DeMar DeRozan pursuit</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-06T11:43:00-07:00">July 6th, 11:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-06T12:21:28-07:00">July 6th, 12:21pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Other than acquiring Toronto Raptors forward Jalen McDaniels in a trade, the Kings have watched the NBA offseason from the sidelines. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-kings-a-dark-horse-demar-derozan-suitor">Sacramento may be gearing up</a> for a headlining transaction any minute now.</p><p>The Kings <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1809632331944108522" rel="noopener">meeting up with</a> Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan, via The Athletic’s Shams Charania.</p><p>“Sources: DeMar DeRozan is traveling to meet with the Kings in Sacramento this weekend,” Charania tweeted. “The Kings are in serious pursuit of the six-time All-Star, who has begun one-on-one conversations with various team personnel.”</p><p>The Bulls are <a href="https://x.com/TheSteinLine/status/1809605035300376598" rel="noopener">interested in signing and trading</a> the six-time All-Star, but only if they can include a third team to take on salary, via NBA insider Marc Stein.</p><p>“Sacramento continues its pursuit of DeMar DeRozan via sign-and-trade and San Antonio has emerged as a potential third-team facilitator, league sources say,” tweeted Stein. “The Kings have chased DeRozan this week and Chicago is willing to facilitate a sign-and-trade but insists on a third team in the deal to take in salary.”</p><p>Adding <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kings-proposal-lands-demar-derozan-in-bulls-sign-and-trade">DeRozan to form</a> a “Big Three” with De’Aaron Fox and Damontas Sabonis could lift the Kings into the Western Conference’s upper echelon. However, it may depend on how many assets they’d have to give up in return.</p><p>How would the 34-year-old fit with Sacramento?</p><h2><b>DeRozan could bring a new element to the Kings’ offense</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bulls-DeMar-DeRozan.jpg"><figcaption>© Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Sacramento had an above-average offense last season, ranking 13th in offensive rating and ninth in points per game. Adding DeRozan, who ranked 17th last season with 24 points per game, would open up even more looks for Fox and Sabonis.</p><p>DeRozan would give the Kings two top front-court scoring threats, as Sabonis scored 19.4 points per game last season on 59.4% shooting, to go with 13.7 rebounds and 8.2 assists. The Gonzaga alum led the league in boards and was sixth in assists, so he and DeRozan could do damage together with second-chance buckets.</p><p>Sacramento would most likely have to<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10127330-demar-derozan-trade-rumors-kings-pushing-to-land-bulls-star-in-possible-3-team-deal" rel="noopener"> give up a role player</a> to fit the Compton, California native under the salary cap, via Bleacher Report’s Mike Chiari.</p><p>“Assuming DeRozan gets something close to the $27.3 million average annual salary he made during his last contract, the Kings would likely have to part with at least one of Harrison Barnes or Kevin Huerter in a sign-and-trade since they will make $18 million and $16.8 million, respectively, next season,” Chiari wrote.</p><p>While parting with valuable depth is never preferable, the Kings have to take a big swing in the trade market to contend with the West’s top squads. DeRozan could be the missing piece to the puzzle for Sacramento, who hasn’t made a deep playoff run since 2004.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Kings take big step in their DeMar DeRozan pursuit

<!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-make-sneaky-move-on-unheralded-weapon-amid-zach-lavine-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bulls make sneaky move on unheralded weapon amid Zach LaVine 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/2024/07/Chicago-makes-sneaky-move-on-unheralded-weapon-amid-Zach-LaVine-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>Bulls make sneaky move on unheralded weapon amid Zach LaVine rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-04T06:43:40-07:00">July 4th, 6:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-04T06:43:40-07:00">July 4th, 6:43am</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/bingeable">Sonny Giuliano</a>Sonny Giuliano is an experienced sports writer for ClutchPoints who has been covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and NCAA Basketball for well over a decade. Originally from the small town of Elba, New York, Sonny received his degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and currently resides in Naples, Florida</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While much of the attention on the Chicago Bulls has been focused on the front office’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-why-zach-lavines-relationship-with-bulls-front-office-is-completely-shattered">continued efforts to explore avenues</a> in which they could offload two-time NBA All-Star Zach LaVine and his enormous contract, elsewhere, the Bulls have been making moves that signal the franchise is ready to get younger and cheaper with a rebuild on the way. But younger and cheaper doesn’t necessarily equate to lacking promise, because if Adama Sanogo’s final Bulls appearance last season is any indication, then the undersized center may have a promising future as a rotational big ahead of him.</p><p>“Chicago Bulls RFA Adama Sanogo has agreed to sign a two-way contract with the team, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport,” <a href="https://x.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1808693688991953036" rel="noopener">writes NBA insider</a> Chris Haynes on Twitter. “Sanogo is represented by Daniel Hazan of Hazan Sports.”</p><p>While Sanogo played in only nine games for the Chicago Bulls during his rookie season, he finished the year with by far his strongest performance on the big stage. In a game in which many Bulls starters and rotation players sat, Sanogo went for 22 points and 20 rebounds in 35 minutes off the bench versus the Washington Wizards in Chicago’s 81st game of the season. With that performance, Sanogo became <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/which-rookie-has-the-most-games-with-20-points-20-rebounds" rel="noopener">one of just 22 rookies</a> in NBA history with a 20-20 game, according to StatMuse, and just the fifth rookie to do so this century, along with Victor Wembanyama, Walker Kessler, Gorgui Dieng, and DeJuan Blair.</p><p>“It feels good, man,” Sanogo said after his 22 point, 20 rebound performance, per Darnell Mayberry <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5412051/2024/04/13/bulls-rookie-adama-sanogo-20-20-game-wizards/" rel="noopener">of The Athletic</a>. “I’ve been waiting for this all year. To be able to come in and do it now, it feels great. The good thing about this is it’s like a dream come true for me.”</p><p>Now, thanks to that late-season performance against the Wizards, in addition to his stellar play all season for the Bulls’ G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, Adama Sanogo will get an extended chance to live out his dream. And with Andre Drummond on his way to Philadelphia, and the Bulls likely open to finding a suitable deal for Nikola Vucevic, don’t expect Sanogo to play in just eight NBA games this year.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Zach-LaVine-drives-to-the-basket-1024x665.jpg"><figcaption>© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h2><b>What’s new for the Bulls on the Zach LaVine front? </b></h2><p>Unfortunately for the Chicago Bulls, not too much. When the decision was made <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-news-zach-lavine-true-feelings-on-215-million-max-contract-with-chicago">to sign Zach LaVine</a> to a five-year max contract back in 2022, it turned out to be the death blow to Chicago’s chances to be able to recoup something of value for him. Now, it’s possible that the Bulls would need to <a href="https://x.com/_TradeDeadline/status/1807426419615576316" rel="noopener">unload draft picks</a> in order to entice a team to take on LaVine’s contract.</p><p>While the Warriors and the Kings have been considered the teams to watch for a potential Zach LaVine deal over the last few days, there may also be a glimmer of hope in Brooklyn as well. Stephen Not of <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/ben-simmons-landing-spots-trade-destinations-nets/76dfad814bef398ef5546755">Sporting News</a> suggested a potential Zach LaVine for Ben Simmons swap that would trim $2 million in salary for the Bulls, and allow Chicago to get off of long-term money quicker than if they held onto LaVine. Simmons’ contract expires at the end of the year, clearing the books for the Bulls as they continue to move toward a full-fledged rebuild, and Brooklyn gets a pseudo-star that they can put on banners outside of Barclays Center.</p><p>Feels like a win-win, if you ask me.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bulls make sneaky move on unheralded weapon amid Zach LaVine 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', '/nba-rumors-why-zach-lavines-relationship-with-bulls-front-office-is-completely-shattered');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Why Zach LaVine’s relationship with Bulls’ front office is ‘completely shattered’');   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/2024/07/Why-Zach-LaVines-relationship-with-Bulls-front-office-is-completely-shattered.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Why Zach LaVine’s relationship with Bulls’ front office is ‘completely shattered’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-03T08:03:29-07:00">July 3rd, 8:03am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-03T08:03:29-07:00">July 3rd, 8:03am</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/bingeable">Sonny Giuliano</a>Sonny Giuliano is an experienced sports writer for ClutchPoints who has been covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and NCAA Basketball for well over a decade. Originally from the small town of Elba, New York, Sonny received his degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and currently resides in Naples, Florida</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After spending years existing in the middle of the NBA’s pack, the Chicago Bulls finally seem to be coming to the realization that this current group, led by dynamic yet oft-injured shooting guard Zach LaVine, is not the one that will get Chicago back to top-tier relevance. Since acquiring LaVine from the Minnesota Timberwolves back in 2017, the Bulls have made just one postseason appearance, a stark decline from the thirteen seasons prior, in which Chicago made the NBA Playoffs eleven times.</p><p>Chicago’s lack of success over the last seven years surely doesn’t just fall on the shoulders of Zach LaVine. But given the fact that Chicago handed him a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-news-zach-lavine-agrees-5-year-215-2-million-max-deal-chicago">five-year max contract</a> back in 2022 with the expectations that his continued growth would be the catalyst in getting the Bulls over the hump, it’s understandable that LaVine would end up being the scapegoat. Now, as the Bulls appear ready to blow things up, the relationship between the team and LaVine has “completely shattered,” according to Joe Cowley of <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/bulls/2024/07/02/bulls-hearing-free-agency-ding-dong-no-one-is-at-the-door?utm_campaign=socialflow-cst-sports&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter" rel="noopener">the Chicago Sun-Times</a>.</p><p>“An NBA insider told the Sun-Times on Tuesday that the relationship between LaVine and the team’s top brass is completely shattered and ‘filled with mistrust,'” Cowley wrote on Tuesday night, before noting that this all stemmed from LaVine’s decision to undergo season-ending foot surgery back in early February.</p><p>“The Bulls thought LaVine ‘opting’ for season-ending right foot surgery when rehab on the injury was still on the table was a counterpunch thrown below the belt,” writes Cowley. In their statement on LaVine’s decision to undergo season-ending surgery, the Chicago Bulls made it perfectly clear that the choice for surgery was one made by LaVine and his representatives at Klutch Sports Group, not the team and its medical staff.</p><p>“After seeking additional medical opinions, in consultation with the Chicago Bulls training and medical staff, guard Zach LaVine and Klutch Sports Group have elected surgery on LaVine’s right foot as the next step in his recovery process. Surgery is anticipated the week of February 5. LaVine will be out 4-6 months. Updates will be provided as necessary,” the <a href="https://www.nba.com/bulls/news/zach-lavine-injury-update-6" rel="noopener">statement read</a>.</p><p>If this were indeed a ‘counterpunch’ on the part of Zach LaVine and Klutch, it was due to their feeling that the Bulls were misleading them on potential trade destinations. With the surgery, LaVine took the option of a trade off the table entirely.</p><p>The Bulls have continued shopping LaVine all throughout the summer, but there is essentially no market for the two-time All-Star, which means we could be heading toward a result that the Bulls front office and ownership group consider to be the “worst-case scenario”… LaVine still in Chicago to start the 2024-25 season.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Zach-LaVine-sits-on-the-sideline-1024x683.jpg"><figcaption>© David Banks-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h2><b>Can the Bulls find any takers for Zach LaVine? </b></h2><p>With DeMar DeRozan <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-josh-giddey-trade-final-straw-demar-derozan-bulls-future">likely on his way out</a>, Alex Caruso <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-bulls-thunder-alex-caruso-josh-giddey-trade">heading to Oklahoma City</a> in exchange for Josh Giddey, and Bulls fans clamoring for Nikola Vucevic to be the next player shipped away, a full-fledged tear-down seems to be on the way in the Windy City. No move would indicate that more clearly than if the Bulls found a taker for Zach LaVine, but thus far, they’ve <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-bulls-cant-even-give-away-zach-lavine-trade">struck out as much</a> as Michael Jordan did during his <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/1994/03/14/err-jordan-try-as-he-might-michael-jordan-has-found-baseball-beyong-his-grasp" rel="noopener">Minor League Baseball sabbatical</a>.</p><p>Zach LaVine is owed over $135 million over the next three seasons. At the point he’s finally off the books, he’ll be 32 years old, and his injury history doesn’t give much room for optimism that LaVine will be durable well into his thirties. Since being acquired by Chicago in June 2017, LaVine has missed 158 of a possible 532 regular season games, including 57 last year. No team wants to find themselves in the position where they’re paying well over $40 million per year for a guy who has missed at least 35 games in a season in three of his last eight years in the NBA.</p><p>Sacramento and Golden State are the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-bulls-zach-lavine-trade-hopes-not-yet-dead-2-teams-interested">two most-likely takers</a> for LaVine, but as things stand right now, nothing is imminent in terms of a deal being reached.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Why Zach LaVine’s relationship with Bulls’ front office is ‘completely shattered’

<!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-bulls-zach-lavine-trade-hopes-not-yet-dead-2-teams-interested');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Bulls’ Zach LaVine trade hopes not yet dead with 2 teams interested');   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/2024/07/NBA-rumors-Bulls-Zach-LaVine-trade-hopes-not-yet-dead-with-2-teams-interested.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Bulls’ Zach LaVine trade hopes not yet dead with 2 teams interested</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-01T17:54:25-07:00">July 1st, 5:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-01T17:54:25-07:00">July 1st, 5:54pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It has been a wild NBA offseason so far, but it can create louder noises if the Chicago Bulls find a way to let go of Zach LaVine. That will have to be via a trade, as LaVine is still under contract for at least the next two seasons, with a player option worth $48.96 million for the 2026-27 campaign.</p><p>At this point, it’s no longer a secret that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-bulls-cant-even-give-away-zach-lavine-trade">Bulls want to trade</a> LaVine. It’s just a matter of finding a partner that will satisfy their demand in exchange for the two-time NBA All-Star shooting guard.</p><h2><b>Are the Warriors still interested in Zach LaVine?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Zach-LaVine-walking-off-court.jpg"><figcaption>Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings are two teams that were recently mentioned by Bulls insider KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago that are still <a href="https://x.com/NBCSBulls/status/1807889445259014412" rel="noopener">entertaining thoughts of trading</a> for Zach LaVine. The Warriors have just lost Klay Thompson via a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-news-dallas-klay-thompson-contract-free-agency">three-team trade</a> with the Dallas Mavericks that also involved the Charlotte Hornets, so LaVine could be a guy the Dubs pursue as a replacement for what they have lost on the perimeter with Thompson’s departure.</p><p>“I’ve been led to believe that there are two teams that are still at least having conversations with glimmer of hope, however you want to phrase it. I don’t want to be aggregated poorly. I’m just, I’m grasping for the best way to phrase it myself. What I will say is I’ve written the Kings and Warriors and I think those two teams, you know, the Warriors obviously are going through significant changes with Klay Thompson’s likely imminent departure or I guess definite imminent departure since he’s told the Warriors he’s not coming back. And obviously Chris Paul was waived, said Johnson during an appearance on Bulls Talk Podcast.</p><p>However, it is also known that the Warriors have rejected a Bulls trade offer that features LaVine just before Golden State decided to waive Chris Paul and let go of Thompson. Perhaps, the Warriors are still not completely closing the door on LaVine, but it gets harder to imagine that such a trade would happen now that Golden State has lost Paul, who could have been a bargaining chip for the Dubs.</p><h2><b>The Kings still keeping an eye on LaVine?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Zach-Lavine-1.jpg"><figcaption>Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The Kings, on the other hand, have also been busy this offseason. They can still make a huge splash by trading for a player like LaVine, with Johnson floating the names up of Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter as a possible package Sacramento could offer the Bulls. For what it’s worth, the Kings tried to acquire Zach LaVine back in 2018 when they put an $80 million offer on the table only for the Bulls to match it.</p><p>“And then the Kings just always seem to pop up in conversation. And I know when Malik Monk signed there, it looked like there wasn’t a landing spot for Zach there, but Harrison Barnes-Kevin Huerter package seems like it’s available for a lot of different scenarios. Brandon Ingram would be another one.”</p><p>It just seems that LaVine isn’t an appealing name at the moment for teams out there and the Bulls don’t have much of a leverage. Apart from the large money remaining in the former UCLA Bruins star’s contract, he is also coming off a foot surgery last February that ended his 2023-24 NBA season.</p><p>A first-round pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves back in the 2014 NBA Draft, LaVine played in only 25 games last season and averaged 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Bulls’ Zach LaVine trade hopes not yet dead with 2 teams interested

<!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-josh-giddey-trade-final-straw-demar-derozan-bulls-future');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Josh Giddey trade ‘final straw’ for DeMar DeRozan’s Bulls future');   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/2024/07/NBA-rumors-Josh-Giddey-trade-final-straw-for-DeMar-DeRozans-Bulls-future.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Josh Giddey trade ‘final straw’ for DeMar DeRozan’s Bulls future</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-01T12:44:16-07:00">July 1st, 12:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-01T12:44:59-07:00">July 1st, 12:44pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After years of taking up residence in No Man’s Land, it appears the Chicago Bulls might finally be moving in a new direction. Turbulent times are still on the horizon, to be certain, but the organization seems to be committed to initiating a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-jalen-smith-agree-to-27-million-contract">true youth movement</a> in the Windy City. Though, it might not even be the Bulls’ decision.</p><p>Free agent DeMar DeRozan, who had previously expressed the desire to return to Chicago, <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/bulls/2024/07/01/youth-continues-being-served-bulls-sign-backup-jalen-smith" rel="noopener">is reportedly planning</a> to sign with another team in NBA free agency. A recent front office move might effectively be pushing him away from the Bulls.</p><p>“A source told the Sun-Times late Sunday night that the Alex Caruso-Josh Giddey trade was the final straw in DeRozan’s mind for any sort of return, as the 34-year-old will now use his free agency to shop elsewhere,” Joe Cowley reported on Monday.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grading-bulls-thunder-blockbuster-trade-involving-josh-giddey-alex-caruso">Shipping out a 2020 champion</a> and 2023 All-Defensive First-Team selection for a young player who still has plenty of developing to do obviously sends a strong message to DeRozan and fans: Chicago is not overly concerned with competing in the present. It is dedicated to playing the long game.</p><p>In fairness, choosing to cling to its current core has only resulted in anti-climactic NBA Play-In Tournament appearances for the last two years. Rebuilding may be the only way for this franchise to grow in the long-term. That being said, many do not deem Giddey to be reasonable return value for a two-way guard who is coming off the best overall season of his career.</p><p>The team reportedly rejected past trade proposals for Caruso that would have given them multiple first-round draft picks before acquiring the former Oklahoma City Thunder playmaker. The Bulls are betting on the 21-year-old’s potential, but it will <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/best-demar-derozan-free-agency-destinations-if-he-leaves-bulls">come at a cost</a>.</p><h2><b>DeMar DeRozan has done his best to keep the Bulls afloat</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/DeMar-DeRozan-attacks-the-lane.jpg"><figcaption>Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Although it was not accompanied by a ton of winning or any playoff success, the DeMar DeRozan era has delivered the city some needed joy. After being traded to the Bulls from the San Antonio Spurs in August of 2021, the veteran wing instantly breathed new life into the franchise.</p><p>DeRozan scored a career-high 27.9 points per game while shooting 35.2 percent from 3-point range (also career-best) en route to earning All-NBA Second-Team honors and a top-10 finish in the MVP race. His explosion coincided with a 46-36 record for Chicago, the squad’s best mark since 2014-15.</p><p>That was the peak, however. Injuries to Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball caused the team to plummet and the 34-year-old’s efficiency to dip a bit over the last two seasons. DeRozan is still a high-quality offensive option who carves up defenses in the mid-range, averaging 24.0 points on 48 percent shooting in 2023-24. On a team constantly ravaged by injuries, his durability– played at least 74 games in three straight years and led NBA with 37.8 minutes per contest last season– will be sorely missed.</p><p>But a split is also practical for both parties. The Bulls are not making headway in the Eastern Conference, and DeMar DeRozan still has value to add to postseason contenders. Their paths no longer converge. The problem, though, is that executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas could have received an asset or two for the six-time All-Star’s services.</p><p>Instead, DeRozan is set to walk <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-demar-derozan-lakers-wish-list" rel="noopener">out the door</a> for nothing. Whether it is focused on the present or future, Chicago continues to sour fans with its front-office approach. And players too, apparently.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Josh Giddey trade ‘final straw’ for DeMar DeRozan’s Bulls future

<!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-warriors-rejected-bulls-zach-lavine-trade-offer-before-waiving-chris-paul');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Warriors rejected Bulls’ Zach LaVine trade offer before waiving Chris Paul');   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/2024/06/NBA-rumors-Warriors-turned-down-Bulls-Zach-LaVine-trade-offer-before-waiving-Chris-Paul.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Warriors rejected Bulls’ Zach LaVine trade offer before waiving Chris Paul</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-30T16:28:32-07:00">June 30th, 4:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-30T16:28:32-07:00">June 30th, 4:28pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a>Angelo Guinhawa is a senior associate editor at ClutchPoints, primarily covering the NBA, NFL, soccer, and college sports. He has previously worked for FOX Sports PH and a number of reputable sports media outlets. If he's not writing or watching sports, he's likely scouring online for his next NBA card purchase.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Golden State Warriors have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-chris-paul-hits-free-agency-after-warriors-30-million-contract-decision">decided to waive Chris Paul</a> and his $30 million salary after failing to find a trade partner for him. However, it doesn’t mean that they didn’t get trade offers; the team simply didn’t get a suitable deal that will satisfy them.</p><p>That much is clear after the Chicago Bulls reportedly made an offer to acquire Paul in exchange for Zach LaVine, per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. Apparently, though, Chicago also wanted Andrew Wiggins in the package. Obviously, the Warriors were not satisfied with the structure of the deal and just decided they were better off releasing the Point God.</p><p>“I was told that the Chicago Bulls <a href="https://twitter.com/ohnohedidnt24/status/1807537361925865799">were trying to get something</a> going with the Golden State Warriors–trying to get a Zach LaVine package together. What I was told. it could have been a Zach LaVine for a Chris Paul or Andrew Wiggins. The Warriors they didn’t feel that was an adequate amount for a deal structure, so things didn’t go as planned,” Haynes shared.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">You're welcome 😉<a href="https://t.co/21M9Wwj0mg">pic.twitter.com/21M9Wwj0mg</a> <a href="https://t.co/kPq42HN1et">https://t.co/kPq42HN1et</a></p><p>— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) <a href="https://twitter.com/ohnohedidnt24/status/1807537361925865799?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>While it’s unknown what else the Bulls offered to the Warriors to get a deal done–or if there’s any additional asset attached at all–it’s really not surprising why the Dubs rejected their offer.</p><p>LaVine is under contract for three more years at an annual average salary of around $46 million. He’s due for $43 million in 2024-25, $46 million in 2025-26 and $49 million in 2026-27. That is a hard salary to move at all, and that is why the Bulls still have the star guard despite multiple efforts of moving him in the past.</p><p>For what it’s worth, Bobby Marks of ESPN recently noted that the Bulls are in <a href="https://x.com/SiriusXMNBA/status/1807064510710055223" rel="noopener">such a difficult situation</a> with LaVine that they might be unable to move him even if they package a first-round pick along with him.</p><p>“Chicago has been trying to move Zach LaVine forever. They can’t find any takers just to get off his contract. I don’t even think if they attached a first round pick teams would take him. So that impacts DeMar DeRozan, because you can’t sign DeRozan. Because you can’t sign DeRozan and keep LaVine, now you go into the luxury tax,” Marks shared on SiriusXM NBA Radio.</p><h2><b>What the Warriors need to do next</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Klay-Thompson-warmups.jpeg"><figcaption>Card Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>After waiving Chris Paul, the Warriors have plenty of other decisions to make in a bid to reshape the roster. Andrew Wiggins is a trade candidate, and it’s clear the Dubs are actively seeking to move him after they made the decision to not let the veteran wing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-dubs-break-silence-on-andrew-wiggins-canada-decommitment">play for Team Canada</a> in the 2024 Olympics.</p><p>The Warriors can’t afford to risk Wiggins getting injured and ruining their trade chances, and so both sides reportedly agreed that skipping the Olympics is the best option for the 29-year-old.</p><p>Then there is also the Klay Thompson issue for Golden State. The other half of the Splash Brother is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-fans-react-klay-thompson-heartbreaking-departure">officially leaving Bay Area</a>; however, recent reports noted that the Warriors are hoping to work a sign-and-trade for Thompson.</p><p>The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers have been linked with the 34-year-old sharpshooter and four-time champion. The Mavs are expected to be the frontrunners, although the Purple and Gold are equally motivated to get him to LA.</p><p>For now, it’s a matter of wait-and-see for the Dubs. Nonetheless, fans can expect to see a whole different squad in 2024-25 compared to what they had in the past season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Warriors rejected Bulls’ Zach LaVine trade offer before waiving Chris Paul

<!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-bulls-cant-even-give-away-zach-lavine-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Bulls can’t even ‘give away’ Zach LaVine in trade');   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/2024/06/Bulls-cant-even-give-away-Zach-LaVine-in-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Bulls can’t even ‘give away’ Zach LaVine in trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-30T09:23:26-07:00">June 30th, 9:23am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-30T09:24:52-07:00">June 30th, 9:24am</time><address><a>Jason Patt</a>Jason Patt started as an editor at ClutchPoints in 2018 and became the head of the editorial team in 2022. He also co-hosts Cash Considerations: A Chicago Bulls Podcast for the Blue Wire Network.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bulls have been trying to trade Zach LaVine for a while now, but they haven’t been able to find any takers. LaVine was hoping to find a new home this past season, but his poor play and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-news-zach-lavine-finally-undergoes-foot-surgery-trade-deadline-day">subsequent foot surgery</a> destroyed any chances of that happening. As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-bulls-have-floated-15-zach-lavine-trade-proposals">Bulls continue to prioritize</a> a LaVine trade this offseason, they’re still struggling to find real interest.</p><p>ESPN’s Bobby Marks says there’s <a href="https://x.com/_TradeDeadline/status/1807426419615576316" rel="noopener">“no market”</a> for LaVine and Chicago is even trying to “give him away” by attaching a first-round pick:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“I don’t even think if they attached a first round pick teams would take [Zach LaVine].”</p><p>ESPN’s <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BobbyMarks42</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/BGeltzNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BGeltzNBA</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/SamMitchellNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SamMitchellNBA</a> how the new second apron rules in the CBA are handcuffing teams like the Chicago Bulls. <a href="https://t.co/lDCPxuB4l8">pic.twitter.com/lDCPxuB4l8</a></p><p>— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SiriusXMNBA/status/1807064510710055223?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“There is no market for Zach Lavine. They are trying to give him away and attach a first round pick. I’ve been told that by multiple, multiple people.”</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BobbyMarks42</a>) <a href="https://t.co/IcpNq8BgV0">pic.twitter.com/IcpNq8BgV0</a></p><p>— The Trade Deadline (@_TradeDeadline) <a href="https://twitter.com/_TradeDeadline/status/1807426419615576316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>LaVine is set to make over $43 million next season and is scheduled to make nearly $46 million the year after that before a player option worth nearly $49 million in 2026-27. With the new CBA adding a second apron and stiffer penalties for expensive rosters, the 29-year-old isn’t all that attractive on the trade market thanks to that big contract and recent injury history.</p><p>Still, the Bulls are going to keep trying as they look to rebuild their roster, with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-demar-derozans-likely-free-agency-strategy-involves-paul-george">DeMar DeRozan potentially exiting</a> the franchise as well. LaVine wanted out last season and could use a fresh start after coming to Chicago in the Jimmy Butler trade back in 2017. The two-time All-Star has only won one playoff game in his career and would like to be on a team in a better position to win.</p><p>But will any team step up to the plate and trade for Zach LaVine? And will it take the Bulls using important draft capital or a key player asset to do it? Remember, Alex Caruso is off the table now because of his trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder.</p><h2><b>Zach LaVine trade options</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Zach-LaVine-drives-against-Trayce-Jackson-Davis.jpg"><figcaption>Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The Bulls have floated a number of Zach LaVine trade proposals to possible suitors. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-kings-trade-calls-bulls-zach-lavine-alex-caruso">The Sacramento Kings</a> have been mentioned as a popular option, though it’s unclear if there’s still real interest there after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-how-malik-monk-impacts-kings-zach-lavine-trade-interest">re-signing Malik Monk</a>. The Kings have been shopping Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter together for a while, and perhaps a LaVine swap involving these three players winds up getting done. Sacramento had a disappointing 2023-24 season and could look to make a splash, with LaVine being a clear upgrade on Barnes and Huerter as long as he’s healthy.</p><p>Team such as the Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz have also been named as possibilities, but the Sixers and Magic are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sources-warriors-failed-paul-george-pursuit-nba-free-agency">prioritizing a Paul George pursuit</a> and have other targets as well. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-76ers-jazzs-trade-interest-zach-lavine-revealed">The Jazz’s potential interest</a> was also recently shot down as they decide <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-jazzs-lauri-markkanen-plan-as-trade-vultures-circle">what to do with Lauri Markkanen</a>, LaVine’s former teammate in Chicago. The Detroit Pistons reportedly had LaVine interest ahead of the trade deadline, but it doesn’t seem as if the new front office is all that interested.</p><p>Could the Golden State Warriors have interest after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sources-warriors-failed-paul-george-pursuit-nba-free-agency">losing out on a Paul George trade</a> and with Klay Thompson heading out the door? How about the Los Angeles Lakers or Clippers? As of right now, there’s no buzz involving LaVine and those teams, but it’s at least something to monitor as free agency plays out.</p><p>The key here is patience. LaVine clearly isn’t coveted around the league, but when healthy <a href="https://theswishtheory.com/nba/2024/06/zach-lavine-the-wages-of-perception/" rel="noopener">he’s still a good player</a> and could help a number of teams. The dust likely needs to settle first on some of the big moves around the NBA (George is the biggest domino) before a LaVine trade gets done. Teams that strike out on top targets could circle back to the Bulls on LaVine and be more serious about getting a deal done.</p><p>And if a LaVine trade really requires the Bulls to use an important asset to get off of it, it wouldn’t be the worst thing to just keep him and see if he can rehab his value at all next season. Chicago likely won’t be any good, especially if DeRozan leaves, but LaVine could still put up good numbers and show he can play.</p><p>For now, the Bulls will see what happens with DeRozan and continue to scour the market for a Zach LaVine trade.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Bulls can’t even ‘give away’ Zach LaVine in trade

<!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-demar-derozans-likely-free-agency-strategy-involves-paul-george');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: DeMar DeRozan’s ‘likely’ free agency strategy involves Paul George');   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/2024/06/DeMar-DeRozans-likely-free-agency-strategy-involves-Paul-George.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: DeMar DeRozan’s ‘likely’ free agency strategy involves Paul George</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-30T07:37:18-07:00">June 30th, 7:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-30T07:37:18-07:00">June 30th, 7:37am</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/bingeable">Sonny Giuliano</a>Sonny Giuliano is an experienced sports writer for ClutchPoints who has been covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and NCAA Basketball for well over a decade. Originally from the small town of Elba, New York, Sonny received his degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and currently resides in Naples, Florida</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the official start of NBA Free Agency inches closer and closer by the minute, there’s no shortage of speculation already as to where all of the big name players may end up going. Two of the most recognizable names and impactful players whose fates are both up in the air are Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers and DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls. Combined, George and DeRozan have scored over 41,000 career points, made 15 NBA All-Star game appearances, and raked in over $600 million in NBA contracts over the course of their respective careers.</p><p>It’s not just that Paul George and DeMar DeRozan are both free agents, both from Southern California, and both increasingly likely to leave their current teams, it’s that their fates are semi-related, at least according to one long-time NBA insider. According to reports, contract discussions between DeRozan and the Bulls <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-news-arturas-karnisovas-cryptic-demar-derozan-comments-hint-rebuild">have gone nowhere</a>, and in Los Angeles, the Clippers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-paul-georges-future-with-clippers-gets-huge-brian-windhorst-update">have yet to give in</a> and offer Paul George a max deal. Numerous teams have been linked to George over the last few weeks, and if he does decide to leave LA for any one of them, it could mean the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-clippers-linked-to-demar-derozan-again-if-paul-george-leaves">Clippers will be ready to pounce</a> on DeRozan.</p><p>“It is believed that DeMar DeRozan, with no discernible momentum since the NBA Finals toward a new contract from the Bulls, is likely to wait until George makes his decision to get a better feel for his non-Chicago options,” Marc Stein wrote in his <i><a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/what-were-hearing-as-nba-free-agency" rel="noopener">The Stein Line</a> </i>newsletter. “Could DeRozan emerge as the Clippers’ replacement for George if they ultimately need one? He obviously doesn’t play the same 3-and-D game as George, but he’s another highly productive Southern Californian who has been more durable. DeRozan, 34, has missed only 17 games combined in his three seasons as a Bull.”</p><p>If the Clippers were DeMar DeRozan’s landing spot, he would be teaming up with Kawhi Leonard six years after he and Leonard were traded for one another in a deal that ended up <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-demar-derozan-reveals-couldnt-watch-raptors-win-the-title">swinging the 2019 NBA Championship</a>. It would also mean that after years of flirtation, DeRozan would finally be able to return to California and play in his home state.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Paul-George-and-DeMar-DeRozan-both-going-for-a-loose-ball-1024x683.jpg"><figcaption>© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h2><b>Where do Paul George, DeMar DeRozan end up? </b></h2><p>As things stand right now, it appears as if it will be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-paul-george-plans-call-3-teams-once-nba-free-agency-opens">a three-horse race</a> for the services of Paul George during the 2024-25 season and beyond. George has meetings lined up with the Clippers, the Orlando Magic, and the Philadelphia 76ers, who most around the league view as the front-runner in the Paul George sweepstakes. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-paul-george-makes-attention-grabbing-paolo-banchero-prediction">recent comments that George has made</a> about young Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero have given fans in central Florida reason for hope.</p><p>DeMar DeRozan has really only been linked to a return to the Bulls or a return back home to Southern California. The Clippers are expected to be the primary suitor, but don’t sleep on that other team that plays in Los Angeles. If LeBron James <i>does </i>end up <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-rich-paul-reveals-lebron-james-priority-for-new-contract">taking a significant pay cut</a> in order to bolster the Lakers roster, don’t be surprised if DeRozan considers the Purple and Gold. He’s been rumored as a potential Lakers target in the past, and theoretically, the Lakers present a more clear path to an NBA Title than the Clippers without Paul George would.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: DeMar DeRozan’s ‘likely’ free agency strategy involves Paul George

<!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-bulls-looking-to-trade-nikola-vucevic-rebuild-looms');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Bulls looking to trade Nikola Vucevic as rebuild looms');   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/2024/06/NBA-rumors-Bulls-looking-to-trade-Nikola-Vucevic-as-rebuild-looms.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Bulls looking to trade Nikola Vucevic as rebuild looms</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-28T06:28:48-07:00">June 28th, 6:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-28T06:29:22-07:00">June 28th, 6:29am</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is based in Los Angeles and currently covers basketball at every level from NBA/WNBA to men/women college and boys/girls high school.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Bulls made one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-josh-giddey-oklahoma-city-bulls-trade">first big moves</a> of the 2024 offseason when they acquired Josh Giddey in a trade that sent Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder. A big offseason is looming for the Bulls, with early signs pointing to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-demar-derozans-bulls-future-question-josh-giddey-trade">a possible rebuild</a>. One of the next dominoes to fall could be Nikola Vucevic, whom the Bulls are <a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/nba-free-agency-trade-rumors-outlook-30-teams" rel="noopener">reportedly looking to trade,</a> per Matt Moore of Action Network.</p><p>Moore reports “The Bulls are known to be looking to move Nikola Vucevic, along with the never-ending Zach LaVine saga. The Caruso trade both helps and hurts those efforts because Caruso’s contract was a quality lubricant for teams willing to take on those contracts, which now isn’t available.”</p><p>A four-time All-Star, Nikola Vucevic just completed his third full season with the Bulls since the trade with the Orlando Magic back during the 2020-21 season. This past year, Vucevic appeared in 76 games for Chicago at a little over 34 minutes per game. He averaged 18.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists with splits of 48.4 percent shooting from the field, 29.4 percent shooting from the three-point line and 82.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>While Vucevic’s counting stats still look solid, his three-point shooting has tanked and he has lost a step, hurting the Bulls on the defensive end. Chicago went just 39-43 this past season after giving the veteran big man a three-year, $60 million contract last offseason. The Bulls lost to the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament for a second consecutive season, leading to Arturas Karnisovas promising change to the roster.</p><p>Moore doesn’t name any potential suitors for Vucevic, but the Golden State Warriors could be an intriguing option given they’re looking to move Chris Paul and/or Andrew Wiggins. Ironically enough, the Thunder could use help in the frontcourt, though they reportedly have their eyes on Isaiah Hartenstein. The Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans all drafted young centers, but perhaps they’d also prefer a more veteran presence. The Pelicans in particular are about to lose Jonas Valanciunas in free agency.</p><h2><b>Bulls appear headed towards a rebuild</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Matas-Buzelis-on-draft-night.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Following the 2024 NBA Draft, the Bulls indeed appear to be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-news-arturas-karnisovas-cryptic-demar-derozan-comments-hint-rebuild">on track for a rebuild</a> this offseason. They held a lottery pick in the draft and used it on Chicago-native Matas Buzelis of the G League Ignite.</p><p>Buzelis played in 26 games during the G League regular season at a little over 32 minutes per game. He averaged 14.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.1 blocked shots with splits of 44.8 percent shooting from the field, 27.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 67.9 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>Even before this pick, Chicago’s offseason plans were likely revealed with the Alex Caruso trade. The Bulls acquired Josh Giddey, a player who could still have untapped potential but who fell out of favor in Oklahoma City during the playoffs. With Giddey set to head to the bench, he wanted a trade and got one, with the Thunder landing one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA in the process.</p><p>Chicago is also <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-bulls-have-floated-15-zach-lavine-trade-proposals">reportedly looking to trade</a> Zach LaVine. And when it comes to NBA free agency, DeMar DeRozan is an unrestricted free agent and could be on his way out. When it comes to the Bulls’ future, it appears as if they envision a group that includes Giddey, Buzelis and Coby White leading the way.</p><p>A move towards a rebuild would mark a stark contrast from the previous years in which Chicago seemed content to be stuck in no-man’s land. That is a team without any serious playoff aspirations, but a team that was not bad enough to secure high draft picks and trigger a true rebuild.</p><p>If the Bulls move on from DeRozan, trade LaVine and deal away Vucevic, it will be a full rebuilding process ahead of the Cooper Flagg draft in 2025. Chicago owes a top-10 protected first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs in 2025, so there’s added incentive to rebuild.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Bulls looking to trade Nikola Vucevic as rebuild looms

<!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-kings-fell-short-alex-caruso-trade-bulls');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: How Kings fell just short of Alex Caruso trade 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/2024/06/How-Kings-fell-just-short-of-Alex-Caruso-trade-with-Bulls.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: How Kings fell just short of Alex Caruso trade with Bulls</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-24T13:43:19-07:00">June 24th, 1:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-24T13:43:19-07:00">June 24th, 1:43pm</time><address><a>Peter Sampson</a>Peter Sampson is ClutchPoints' Portland Trail Blazers reporter and also serves as an Associate Editor. He has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting "The Pulse with Peter Sampson" in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer's Edge and XRAY.FM - where his show "Blazer's Edge Radio" was named "Portland's Best Sports Radio" in the 2017 Willamette Week reader's poll. When he's not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After a somewhat disappointing season that saw them fail to live up to their preseason expectations, the Sacramento Kings are looking to rebound in 2024-25. They already took the first major step by locking up Malik Monk to a new contract. But Sacramento also made significant<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5587438/2024/06/24/sacramento-kings-nba-draft-free-agency-zach-edey-kyle-kuzma-zach-lavine/" rel="noopener"> inroads on a deal</a> with the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso before Chicago ended up shipping him to Oklahoma City, per Anthony Slater and Sam Amick of The Athletic:</p><p>“The Kings already tried to use it for a significant roster upgrade. They were close to a trade for defensive ace Alex Caruso last week, according to league sources, offering the No. 13 pick to Chicago as the key chip. The Bulls, to the surprise of many within the league, instead opted to send Caruso to Oklahoma City for Josh Giddey.”</p><p>The Kings, who are looking to add veteran help to their core of De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, and Monk, would have benefitted from adding a player like Caruso to the mix. Caruso is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and also shoots the 3-pointer at a 40 percent clip.</p><p>The Kings have been close on deals to improve their roster recently, but ultimately have come up empty-handed again. Caruso is just the latest example. Sacramento was close to a Pascal Siakam deal at the past trade deadline, but they ultimately lost out to the Indiana Pacers when Indiana paired the two-time All-Star with former King Tyrese Haliburton to make an Eastern Conference Finals run.</p><p>There were strong signs at the time Siakam would not re-sign with Sacramento if he had come. But that’s the type of swing that the Kings must make if they want to reach the upper echelon of the Western Conference.</p><h2><b>Bulls trade Alex Caruso to Thunder instead of Kings</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Caruso-and-Giddey.jpg"><figcaption>© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The Bulls last week traded two-time All-Defensive guard <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-bulls-thunder-alex-caruso-josh-giddey-trade">Caruso to the Thunder</a> in exchange for Josh Giddey.</p><p>Giddey, who has always been recognized for his playmaking abilities as a longer, taller guard, now joins a Bulls team that desperately needs another ball handler next to Coby White. Chicago has long looked to replace Lonzo Ball as he deals with career-threatening knee injuries, and now they have done so with their acquisition of Giddey.</p><p>The Thunder earned the top spot in the Western Conference during the regular season with an impressive 57-25 record. Led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City has gone from being one of the youngest teams in the league to one of the favorites to win the NBA Finals.</p><p>After reaching the Western Conference Semifinals, GM Sam Presti decided to bring in Caruso, who adds championship experience and a strong defensive presence on the perimeter. Now the Thunder roll out a perimeter defense that includes Caruso, SGA, and Lu Dort.</p><p>Caruso was a highly coveted player around the NBA. With the Bulls still in the hunt for the playoffs, the front office made the decision to turn down offers involving first-round draft picks in order to keep the defensive star.</p><p>A few months later, Chicago has now moved on from Caruso for a 21-year-old playmaker who can bring the ball up the floor and still has room for immediate growth.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: How Kings fell just short of Alex Caruso trade 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', '/nba-rumors-demar-derozans-bulls-future-question-josh-giddey-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: DeMar DeRozan’s Bulls future in question after Josh Giddey trade');   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/2024/06/NBA-rumors-DeMar-DeRozans-Bulls-future-comes-into-question-after-Josh-Giddey-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: DeMar DeRozan’s Bulls future in question after Josh Giddey trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-23T06:56:24-07:00">June 23rd, 6:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-23T06:56:24-07:00">June 23rd, 6:56am</time><address><a>Gerard Angelo Samillano</a>Gerard Angelo Samillano is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, with his focus primarily on the NBA, NFL, MLB and Gaming. When he's not writing for CP, Gerard can often be seen playing VALORANT or playing pick-up basketball. He's also working on his BS Mathematics degree.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>What are the Chicago Bulls planning? Much has been made about the Oklahoma City Thunder getting a clear upgrade in the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-bulls-thunder-alex-caruso-josh-giddey-trade"> Josh Giddey-Alex Caruso swap</a>. However, it’s not immediately clear what Chicago is aiming for with their acquisition of Giddey. The young Australian guard’s stock has diminished after a lackluster 2023-24 season.</p><p>There’s another aspect of the Josh Giddey trade that needs to be studied: how does this affect DeMar DeRozan. The Bulls star is entering free agency this season, and his team just acquired a player that fills a somewhat similar role to him. In Marc Stein’s report, the insider notes this, as well as <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-exclusive-nba-trade-talk?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=145895941&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">questioning</a> if DeRozan would even want to stay in the first place.</p><p>“How does DeMar DeRozan still fit with Chicago after the first trade it has completed involving active players on the roster since the Lauri Markkanen sign-and-trade to Cleveland nearly three years ago in August 2021?… One of the loudest questions bouncing around the league at the minute is thus: Will DeRozan be more available in free agency than expected now once the marketplace officially opens on June 30 at 6 PM ET? Likewise: Will DeRozan even want to return to the Bulls?”</p><p>While DeRozan and Giddey differ in some aspects, they fundamentally play the same role: slashing playmakers that lack a consistent three-point shot. Stein rightfully points out that the two players’ playstyles clash in a really bad way for the modern NBA. It’s fair to wonder, then, if Chicago might be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-demar-derozan-latest-betting-odds-return-to-toronto-in-free-agency">thinking of moving on</a> from the older DeRozan.</p><p>DeRozan has been one-half of the Bulls’ star duo in the last few years with Zach LaVine. They’ve experiences a few highs, but it’s been a struggle for the most part for Chicago. At the very least, they’ve been to the Play-In a few times, but never have made it to the final eight. History dictates that a reset should be on the way. Will that reset include Deebo?</p><h2><b>DeRozan, LaVine, and Bulls’ plans for future</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Bulls-DeMar-DeRozan.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>At the very least, the Bulls’ reset will likely not include Zach LaVine. Chicago has <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-bulls-have-floated-15-zach-lavine-trade-proposals">reportedly shopped the All-Star guard</a> pretty aggressively. While LaVine isn’t quite on the same All-Star wavelength he was before, the star still provides some scoring and shooting from the outside: qualities that any contending team needs.</p><p>As for DeRozan, the star forward is set to hit free agency this offseason. The first reports seemed to indicate that Deebo is more than likely going to return to Chicago. DeRozan has always been about loyalty, and Chicago has shown him love more than some of his previous teams. However, with Giddey entering the picture, it’s fair to wonder if the Bulls star might consider finally chasing that elusive ring.</p><p>Only time will tell what the Bulls will be doing in free agency. The Caruso for Giddey trade does seem to indicate that the team is headed towards a rebuild, but who knows. Chicago has been pretty averse to rebuilding in the last few years. What will this team do with their stars?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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