NBA Rumors: Zach LaVine, Nikola Vučević Trade Markets Expected to Be Gauged by Bulls | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

Now that the NBA season is in full swing, it is once again time for the Chicago Bulls to let everyone know that Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević could be available in trades if anyone wants to meet their asking price.

According to ESPN's Jamal Collier, the Bulls are expected to trade LaVine and Vučević at some point after giving them time to recover from their disappointing 2023-24 seasons.

LaVine and Vučević have spent most of the past year on the trading bloc with no movement so far.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported in July that it's “more likely that a Vučević deal will happen sometime in the 2024-25 season.” He cited the lack of available big men and Vučević's contract being more suitable for executing a trade than LaVine.

Vučević is under contract through next season and will receive a salary of $20 million in 2024-25 and $21.5 million in 2025-26.

Money was one of the biggest obstacles preventing a LaVine trade. He has two guaranteed terms remaining on his contract, including this season, with salaries of $43 million and $46 million and a player option of $48.97 million for 2026-27.

In a ranking of the NBA's worst-value contracts released in March, Spotrac's Keith Smith ranked LaVine's contract third-worst, largely due to injuries that limited his playing time.

Due to a foot injury that required surgery, LaVine was only able to play in 25 games last season. He has only reached the 70-game threshold in a season once since 2016-17 (77 in 2022-23).

The addition of Josh Giddey as a point guard in the offseason has opened up new options for the offense and provided easier opportunities for LaVine and Vučević.

Vučević is averaging 20.8 points per game with a career-best field goal percentage (56.1) and three-point percentage (45.7) in eight starts. LaVine was healthy to start the season and averaged 22.7 points per game on 45.8 percent three-point shooting in six starts, but he has missed the last two games with a strained right adductor muscle.

If both players continue to perform well and stay healthy, it will at least help increase the Bulls' negotiating leverage in talks with other teams leading up to the Feb. 6 trade deadline.