Grade the trade pitch: Kings take Zach LaVine off the Bulls hands

Chicago Bulls

They Traded: Zach LaVine, Alex Caruso

They Received: Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Davion Mitchell, Chris Duarte, two second round picks (2027 & 2028), and one 2025 second round pick via Portland Trail Blazers

Grade: B+

We already discussed how the Bulls would be getting a similar level of compensation to what the Wizards got for Beal. So, they have that going for them here. They would also be getting off a contract they probably regret signing LaVine to.

Huerter, Barnes, and Duarte give the Bulls three pieces that they could flip again to contenders in order to gain more draft capital to kickstart their rebuild. With the right opportunity, Mitchell could turn into a nice rotational piece for them moving forward. And unless the Portland Trail Blazers shock the world next season, that second round pick the Kings would be incorporating in this deal could be pretty damn valuable in a 2025 Draft Class that is rumored to be pretty deep.

For where LaVine and Caruso's value is at this point, this is a great move for the Bulls. The reason I am only giving them a B+ is because they waited this long to move Caruso.

In 2021, when the Bulls signed Caruso to a 4-year, 37-million dollar deal, he became one of the best contracts in basketball. Fast forward to the beginning of last season, and with so many teams vying for title contention, Caruso had an argument as the most desirable trade chip in the league (when you factor in how scalable he is and how easy it is to match his salary).

But instead of pouncing on this opportunity, the Bulls declined strong offers for Caruso at the trade deadline. Now, he only has a year left on his Moneyball-level contract, diminishing his value to would-be buyers.