Trade rumors are whirling as the NBA’s hot stove is officially heating up. We’ve already seen one big deal get done with Dennis Schroder heading from Brooklyn to Golden State. Reports have been trickling out almost daily about the availability of stars like Jimmy Butler, Brandon Ingram, De’Aaron Fox, and others.
Another player who is rumored to be available is Zach LaVine, the two-time All-Star guard from the Chicago Bulls. Chicago has been trying to move LaVine for years, but despite his talent, there has been a muted market for the oft-injured 29-year-old with a hefty contract.
But LaVine has been healthy this season and playing some of the best basketball of his career, putting up 22.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game and shooting 43.5% on 7.7 three-point attempts a game. Given the rise in the salary cap, his $43 million salary this season has also gotten slightly more palatable.
Add to that, a limited trade market and more buyers than ever - with fewer means - trying to improve their teams, and it seems there may finally be renewed interest in LaVine. One team that is reportedly looking to upgrade its offense and has been said to have “significant” interest in trading for LaVine is the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets need another playmaker badly, specifically someone who can create his own shot and keep the offense afloat while Nikola Jokic is on the bench. LaVine fits that mold and it’s not crazy to think his game could rise to another level playing alongside the Joker. A case could made that LaVine would be the best player Jokic has ever played with.
Adding LaVine would destroy Nuggets' defense
The problem for Denver lies on the other end of the court, as adding LaVine to the mix on defense would spell big trouble. For the Nuggets to trade for LaVine, they would absolutely have to include Michael Porter Jr. in the deal. That would remove a 6’10” forward who has become a decent defender and a very good rebounder.
LaVine would step in as a 6’5” shooting guard who would bump Christian Braun up to small forward in the starting lineup. That would create a guard rotation of Jamal Murray, Zach LaVine, Russell Westbrook, and Julian Strawther. Unfortunately, that’s completely unsustainable on the defensive end.
Murray is not a good defender and he has looked worse than ever this year. Luckily, he’s been covered up in recent years by solid defenders like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Braun this season. Adding another defensive liability in LaVine would make the duo almost unplayable together.
Westbrook is slightly better but still, a liability on that end overall, and Strawther is downright bad at the moment. It would be incredibly hard to find a viable defensive backcourt pairing with this group. Murray and LaVine would be attacked relentlessly and constantly abused by the league’s elite perimeter players.
The Nuggets have sported an elite offense as long as Jokic has been around, but the team has been legitimate contenders when they boast a competitive defense. As much as they need an offensive upgrade, bringing in LaVine to play next to Murray would crater the team’s defense so badly, they’d have a very hard time contending with the best teams.