Toronto Raptors expected to have a “level of interest” in trading for Zach LaVine, according to an NBA Insider
As the Chicago Bulls continue to get bombarded by a flurry of trade speculations, many expected teams were rumored to already be in line to hand in their offer just to acquire Zach LaVine. But in the wake of this, one interesting team has suddenly emerged and could hunt for the service of the high-scoring star.
Toronto is expected to have a “level of interest” in a LaVine trade
The Toronto Raptors are being viewed as a team that would have a “level of interest” in LaVine’s trade availability, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic upon recently appearing in Bally Sports’ “The Rally.”
“I’m told the Raptors are also expected to have some level of interest in LaVine. Masai Ujiri is always aggressive in his approach. … the Raptors are a team to watch,” said Charania.
As such, Charania also pointed out that the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and the Philadelphia 76ers are all expected to show a desire to obtain the All-Star.
LaVine as a trade piece for Chicago
Zach Lavine holds the most value within the current Bulls core, even way over fellow stars Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan. The big man will remain under contract until 2025-26, while the mid-range specialist star has an expiring deal, which makes his worth not that high in the eyes of league circles.
LaVine, who is averaging 22.6 points in 13 games so far for Chicago, is still locked to earn until 2026-27.
The likes of the Lakers, Heat, and Sixers are already well-known for their interests in a star, given their current competitive stand and the level of interest they gather as big market teams.
Toronto being included in the LaVine sweepstakes sounds quite interesting as they continue building up their core of Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, and OG Anunoby under new coach Darko Rajakovic.
Outside of Dennis Schröder, Toronto does not have another dynamic scorer, and going all in for LaVine makes sense for them from the contending standpoint.
Only time can tell if the Bulls will finally blow it up and cut their ties with LaVine. In the end, they have no reason to be in a hurry with plenty of time still on the clock this season.
