1 Realistic Zach LaVine Trade That Actually Works

Zach LaVine's resurgent season has yet to make waves on the NBA trade market.

Per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Bulls haven't had any "serious talks" about a LaVine trade. "Phone calls have been made, but that's about it."

Might that change between now and the Feb. 6 trade deadline? One can argue it should. While LaVine admittedly has his share of warts—a frightening injury history, a worrisome lack of team success and the exorbitant expense that is his colossal contract—he also has a wealth of offensive abilities to offer any suitor willing to overlook his red flags.

It would take the right trade partner, obviously, but maybe a team like the Detroit Pistons senses some bargain potential. A healthy LaVine is a legitimate difference-maker on offense, and their 17th-ranked offense is crying out for a second option alongside Cade Cunningham, particularly with Jaden Ivey sidelined indefinitely by a broken leg.

If Detroit wants to dream bigger than scoring an invitation to the play-in tournament, it might sense that the right deadline addition could carry the club into the East's top six. LaVine, who would immediately scratch itches for non-Cunningham scoring, shooting and creation, could be that addition, so let's fire up the trade machine to find a realistic way of getting LaVine to the Motor City.

Detroit Pistons receive: Zach LaVine

Chicago Bulls receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., Simone Fontecchio, Marcus Sasser and a 2025 second-round pick (via TOR)

The Pistons have a pulse for the first time in years—.500 as of this writing; .303 or worse winning percentage each of the previous five seasons—and they should soon have their first All-Star of the 2020s. They also have an outstanding need for a second star, and that void has only grown more glaring since Ivey went down.

Cunningham has shouldered one of the Association's heaviest workloads this season, and his burden has predictably increased without Ivey. Adding LaVine, one of 11 players averaging at least 23 points, four assists and three three-pointers, would immediately take heat off of Cunningham. Even if LaVine's shooting rates regress (he's hitting 51.3 percent of his field goals and 45.1 percent of his threes, both personal-bests), the mere threat of his scoring and shot-making would draw defensive attention his way.

In other words, the Pistons have a way to make life easier on their franchise cornerstone. That alone is a compelling argument to pursue LaVine. Once you factor in what the addition might mean for Detroit's postseason aspirations—the Pistons are 3.5 games back of fourth place—that's when the temptation might grow too strong to ignore.

Detroit's future might shine brighter than its present, but it could still attempt an acceleration to see how this roster responds. Outside of LaVine's contract cost—which feels digestible given how many Pistons' rotation regulars are making rookie-scale money—the trade price is negligible. Hardaway's production doesn't come close to LaVine's, Fontecchio and Sasser are reserves averaging fewer than 20 minutes and Detroit's collection of draft picks is deep enough to let a single second-rounder go.

There's some opportunity in cost in sacrificing future cap space to take on LaVine's money, but what are the chances the Pistons sign someone in the next two years who winds up more productive than he is right now? Considering how few players are matching his numbers, let's say slim to none. Opportunity is knocking now, and the Pistons could be, at worst, a pesky playoff matchup if they answer it.

LaVine owns real estate on the rumor mill at this point, as the Bulls have been waiting for his perception to shift from a negative asset to at least a neutral one. A half-season of net-shredding should've done that trick.

Chicago obviously isn't getting an overwhelming collection of assets here, but given how frigid his market had grown, any deal delivering the slightest bit of value is worth a conversation in Chicago's front office. This trade package accomplishes more than checking that box.

Hardaway is a serviceable sharpshooter with an expiring $16.2 million salary. The Bulls could use the financial flexibility (and offensive breathing room) that would come from letting him play out the final months of his contract, but they'd also have a chance to flip him in a separate swap with a shooting-focused shopper. Fontecchio has another year left on his pact, but he is paid a reasonable rate ($16 million over the two seasons) and could soak up minutes in the forward rotation if the Bulls find the Patrick Williams trade they're apparently after.

The real draw for Chicago, though—beyond finally ending the LaVine era—is Sasser, a 2023 first-round pick, and the incoming second from the buried-in-the-standings Raptors. Sasser might be a hot streak away from compiling a 50/40/90 shooting slash (48.3/39/91.7) and seems capable of handling secondary playmaking duties (career 2.9 assists against 1.2 turnovers). That incoming pick, meanwhile, should land pretty early in the second round of what looks like a fully loaded draft.

Maybe the Bulls don't wind up with true building blocks in Sasser or the second-round pick, but they might fill two rotation spots for the next half-decade. That'd be business well done from a front office that previously set itself back by taking too long to plunge into an inevitable rebuild. That patience has been problematic in a lot of ways, but it would be rewarding in this case if it helps Chicago find actual assets in exchange for LaVine.

Statistics used courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com and current through Sunday's games. Salary information obtained via Spotrac.