Report: Zach LaVine unlikely to be traded to the Portland Trail Blazers
Trade rumors are flying around the Bulls, especially Zach LaVine, as the NBA is one day away from the draft.
One national source reports that LaVine -- at the very least -- isn't likely to be traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, who are on the prowl for a talented veteran to pair with Damian Lillard.
"Zach LaVine, the Bulls All-Star guard who flirted with Portland as he reached unrestricted free agency last June, also does not appear to be a legitimate target for the Blazers," Yahoo! Sports Jake Fischer reported.
Some Bulls fans hope the front office opts to begin a rebuild. The same crowd would believe the Trail Blazers represent a strong suitor for LaVine.
Lillard is wishing for his respective front office to bring in talented veterans for him to play alongside. He isn't interested in playing with young players, giving reason for the Blazers to shop their No. 3 and No. 23 picks in Thursday's NBA draft.
The Bulls are reportedly interested in hopping into the draft, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. It's not clear if that means trading into the bottom or top of the draft, as the packages for both would be drastically different. But if they looked towards clearing house entirely -- which seems unlikely at this point -- the No. 3 pick would be a solid place to start.
Portland could be an enticing spot for LaVine, who is a west coast native of Seattle and his UCLA. It would give him a chance to be a sidekick to Lillard, alleviating the pressure for him to bring a team deep into the playoffs under his direction.
But, alas, it's a exercise in futility to rationalize LaVine's presence in Portland, as the above report shows.
The rumors will continue to fly, not just before and during the NBA draft, but this offseason, too. The Bulls still need to figure out how to re-sign -- if they wish -- Nikola Vucevic, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu. And will they sell high on DeMar DeRozan after two straight All-Star seasons?
RELATED: Bulls face major decisions as NBA Draft, free agency loom
Time will tell. But they have a lot of paths they can take in front of them.
Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.
