By now, there’s enough smoke around the Zach LaVine to Denver rumors that there has to be some fire. The Bulls have made it clear that LaVine is extremely available and they are ready to move off their 29-year-old, 2x All-Star guard.
At the same time, the Nuggets have made it clear that they are looking to make a move, specifically an offensive upgrade. LaVine is a name that has come up for the Nuggets and they are reported to have “significant” interest.
We can argue until we’re blue in the face about whether the Nuggets should do this deal or not. LaVine would boost the offensive and add legitimate shot-creation and playmaking that the team desperately lacks.
He can also score efficiently from all three levels at a high volume. There’s a chance that pairing him with an offensive genius like Nikola Jokic could even elevate his game to a level we've never seen before.
On the other hand, LaVine has battled injury issues for his entire career, he comes with a lofty contract, and he could completely sink the defense. There’s a lot at play here, but it seems like both sides are genuinely weighing their options and strongly considering this deal.
Bulls have no interest in trading for Zeke Nnaji
Whatever one might think about this trade from a basketball standpoint, let’s consider the actual logistics. LaVine makes just over $43 million this season, a number the Nuggets would have to match in any deal. Given the trade restrictions on recently-signed Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, that means Michael Porter Jr. and his $35+ million salary must be in the deal.
But that still leaves Denver about $8 million short in matching salary. The Nuggets would already be sacrificing MPJ, so they could ill-afford to send out another rotation player. The only other salaries on the team that are even worth $5 million this season are Dario Saric and Zeke Nnaji.
Saric was signed in the offseason with the full taxpayer midlevel exception, and given a player option for next season; essentially making $5.2 million this season and next. At this point, he has negative trade value, plus Denver would have to throw in another small contract just to make the money work - that seems unlikely.
So, that leaves Zeke Nnaji as the obvious player to make this deal work. Nnaji is still just 23 years old, and is in the first year of a four-year deal, making $8.8 million this year. Denver could add him to MPJ and get this deal done.
However, longtime Bulls insider K.C. Johnson reported earlier in the week and reiterated on social media that the team has no interest in taking Zeke Nnaji back in any trade for LaVine. That throws a major wrench into things, at least for the Nuggets.
Said this on @CHSN__ pregame show last night but, at least as of now, Bulls have shown no interest in taking Zeke Nnaji contract in any talks surrounding Zach LaVine.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) December 21, 2024
Denver could still get there, but this shows that Chicago is likely asking for another valuable player; perhaps a young prospect on a cheap deal like Julian Strawther or Peyton Watson. That should be a non-starter for the Nuggets, who can’t afford to weaken their depth even further.
They need to stand their ground on this. Hopefully, the Bulls are posturing, trying to draw more assets out of the Nuggets. But, if they are serious about getting off LaVine’s contract, they should be happy to take whatever they can get, even if it includes an ugly Nnaji contract.
The Nuggets cannot act from a position of desperation. They need to hold steady on this one; bidding against themselves would be disastrous. Ultimately, if the Bulls stick to their guns and refuse to make a deal, so be it.