An NBA trade proposal involving the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets has been suggested by Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report. The proposed trade would see the Bulls acquire Ben Simmons along with two first-round picks in 2027, one via Philadelphia (top-8 protected) and the other via Phoenix (lottery protected), in exchange for Zach LaVine. NBA insider K.C. Johnson from NBC Sports Chicago noted that trading LaVine is a primary goal for the Bulls this offseason.
Despite attempts to trade LaVine during the season, there was little interest from other teams. LaVine, who has been plagued by injuries, played only 25 games this past season and underwent right foot surgery in February. His performance in the 2023-24 season included averages of 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game, with shooting percentages of 45.2% from the field, 34.9% from three-point range, and 85.4% from the free-throw line.
LaVine is under a five-year, $215 million contract signed in July 2022, earning $43 millio next season and $45 million in 2025-26. On the other hand, Ben Simmons, who signed a five-year, $177 million extension with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019, has only played 172 games with the Sixers and Nets since then. Simmons was traded to the Nets in the James Harden deal in February 2022 and has appeared in just 57 games for Brooklyn. This season, Simmons played only 15 games, averaging 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game, with a field goal percentage of 58.1% and a free throw percentage of 40.0%.
Hughes points out that the Nets have limited control over their first-round picks until 2027 due to the James Harden trade, making a rebuild less beneficial. Therefore, acquiring LaVine could bolster Brooklyn’s scoring capabilities, assuming he recovers from his recent injury.
