The Zach LaVine to Denver Buzz, MPJ Questions, Joakim Noah’s Favorite Memory, and Other Bulls Bullets ...Middle East

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The Zach LaVine to Denver Buzz, MPJ Questions, Joakim Noah’s Favorite Memory, and Other Bulls Bullets

The NBA trade market is an ever-changing organism. We know to never say never in this league. But we can only follow the breadcrumbs we have been given, and we seem to be headed in a direction with no clear endpoint.

A little over 24 hours after I wrote those words, the breadcrumbs changed direction! A surprising report surfaced on Tuesday night that tied Zach LaVine to the Denver Nuggets. While his name was mentioned alongside several others, the two-time All-Star is apparently the focus of Denver’s recent discussions.

    WOW: Zach LaVine Drawing “Significant” Interest From the Denver Nuggets Chicago Sports Network’s K.C. Johnson went on to confirm the preliminary interest from the Nuggets in a Zach LaVine trade. Now, the key word there is “preliminary.” We shouldn’t necessarily expect a deal to get done today, tomorrow, or even before the holidays. The Nuggets are surely weighing a handful of options, and there is still time for LaVine’s contract to scare them away. At the same time, all talks have to start somewhere! The Athletic’s report didn’t simply list LaVine as one of many options but said the front office’s focus on him in recent discussions has been “significant.” That has got some legs, folks! If I’m the Bulls, I’m playing minimal hardball. While there is still a lot of time between now and the trade deadline, most recent reports have indicated that interest in LaVine has been non-existent. Could this be a sign that things are changing? Sure. But it could also be that Denver is the one team with genuine interest. When we consider how long this saga has been and the Bulls need to enter the tank race, doing whatever they can to push this over the finish line may be in their best interest. Do I love the potential return here? Not particularly, but it could be a lot worse! The Bulls are likely to end up with Michael Porter Jr., who is an often-injured wing with $79.0 million owed over the next two years. Not great! At the same time, Porter Jr. is still only 26 years old, an elite long-range shooter, and a consistent rebounder. The Bulls could do a lot worse than adding a starting-caliber player who better fits their timeline and is averaging 18.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Likewise, we have to include the added benefit of making the team worse in the short term. If this deal leads to securing a Top 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, that will give the trade a whole new meaning. Of course, the other option could be to get a third team involved. If someone wants to throw in even younger assets and some draft capital, I could see the Bulls preferring that. But let’s not forget how difficult multi-team trades are to figure out, especially mid-season. If the Bulls want to get this done and finally move on from the LaVine era, they may want to avoid getting too fancy. For what it’s worth, I also truly want the best for LaVine We’ve watched him grow into one of the NBA’s elite scoring threats, and he still doesn’t get enough credit for that. All the losing he’s faced over the years isn’t his fault. The Bulls’ brass failed to build a winner and constantly put too much on his shoulders. If he ended up in Denver, he could get a taste of the success he deserves and finally serve as a rightful No. 2 or No. 3 next to a superstar. Even better, he would be paired with one of the best facilitators in NBA history. If anyone can take advantage of LaVine’s off-ball athleticism and shooting, it’s Nikola Jokic. via © Matt Marton-Imagn Images Um … excuse me!?

    For Denver, specifically, I’m not sure Zach LaVine is a clear upgrade over Michael Porter.MPJ is 5 inches taller and 3 years younger. He doesn’t need the ball and doesn’t fuss about a lack of shots. He’s a better rebounder and has years of chemistry with the Nuggets core. pic.twitter.com/RsApCnY9on

    — Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) December 18, 2024 How can you not think that LaVine is a clear upgrade over MPJ? Thoughts like these show that people simply do not watch LaVine play. This idea that he is a ball hog who stirs up locker-room drama has always been so misguided. LaVine is an absurdly efficient scorer who doesn’t need to dominate possessions to get his points. Is MPJ a better rebounder? Sure. He’s six-foot-ten! But he can not score on and off the ball like LaVine can, which is precisely why the Nuggets are scouring the trade market in the first place. They need someone to take the scoring burden off Jokic, especially with Jamal Murray struggling to look like his explosive self. So does this mean someone will show interest in Nikola Vucevic soon, too? The market has also been unfortunately quiet for the big man, but he continues to have a stellar season. Vucevic is averaging 21.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. This is his highest-scoring average since the 2020-21 season, and he’s also doing it while shooting a career-high 58.7 percent from the field! Vucevic has shown this season that he’s adaptable. Many were concerned about how he’d fit in with Chicago’s uptempo attack, but it’s led to one of the best seasons of his career. Need to slow it down and dish it to him in the post? He’s got it. Want to find him in transition from behind the arc?No problem.

    It might seem odd that Nikola Vucevic is thriving in the Bulls new up-tempo style of play. But Vucevic is an elite trailer.Opposing bigs instincts tell them to get back to the rim in transition. Vooch takes advantage of that regularly to get shots like the two below as a trail… pic.twitter.com/sdg6kG2bNR

    — Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) December 17, 2024 This is the most Joakim Noah story ever. The big man said one of his favorite memories from his playing career is not the dunk against the Celtics or a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Instead, it is an offensive rebound. Noah said he was playing on practically one leg in the Bulls’ first-round playoff series victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

    .@JoakimNoah played with 100% HEART. pic.twitter.com/1HE2usnc2Q

    — Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 17, 2024 DJ Moore shared what boxes he believes the Bears’ next head coach must check. The Chicago Blackhawks’ young forwards are finally starting to show some growth! Tab has more. The Chicago Cubs sure don’t feel like they are done making big moves yet. Brett is keeping a close eye on one big-name pitcher.

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