It was suggested by an NBA writer that the Brooklyn Nets and the Chicago Bulls switch places this summer.
This is the trade proposal that Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes put out to the Bulls and Nets:
Ben Simmons, a 2027 first-round selection (via PHI; top-8 protected) and a 2027 first-round pick (via PHX; lottery protected) are traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Zach LaVine.
A source close to the Bulls told NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson that the team plans to trade LaVine during the offseason.
No team was really interested in trading for UCLA product Zach LaVine, despite Chicago’s best efforts to do so this season.
This season, LaVine only appeared in 25 games. In February, he had surgery on his right foot to finish the season.
In 2023–24, LaVine shot 45.2% from the field, 34.9% from outside the arc, and 85.4% from the free-throw line for the Bulls. He averaged 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.3 blocks. LaVine was named to the All-Star team twice.
When LaVine joined the Bulls in July 2022, he inked a $215 million, five-year deal. Next season, he will earn $43 million, and in 2025–26, he will earn $45 million.
Rich Paul, of Klutch Sports Group, represents LaVine.
In July 2019, Simmons extended his contract with the Philadelphia 76ers for five years, paying $177 million. Since signing that agreement, he has only appeared in 172 games with the Sixers and Nets.
In February 2022, as part of the trade involving James Harden, the Nets traded for Simmons from the Sixers. With Brooklyn, Simmons has only appeared in 57 games.
This season, Simmons saw action in just fifteen games. He shot 58.1% from the field and 40.0% from the free throw line, and his statistics were as follows: 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game.
аccоrԀing tо Hughes, “bоttоming оut wоn’t pаy оff fоr them like it wоulԀ fоr оther teаms” becаuse the Nets trаԀeԀ Jаmes HаrԀen fоr the Hоustоn Rоckets, whо will hаve pоssessiоn оf the Nets’ first-rоunԀ picks until 2027. If LаVine is аble tо shаke оff the аnkle injury thаt neаrly ԀerаileԀ his seаsоn, he might оffer а club in neeԀ оf scоring а significаnt bооst, mаking Brооklyn аn аttrаctive Ԁestinаtiоn fоr him. Tо begin with, he will be mоre useful thаn Simmоns, whо hаs аppeаreԀ in just 57 gаmes оver the pаst three seаsоns аnԀ hаs whаt is аrguаbly the leаgue’s wоrst Ԁоllаr-tо-prоԀuctiоn rаtiо right nоw.
His contract is up for renewal in four years at $40.3 million, and Chicago can take advantage of its increased flexibility by adding a couple of protected draft choices. This presupposes that the Bulls will trade Nikola Vučević, Alex Caruso, and any other player who isn’t named Coby White or bolted down.
“Everyone leaves the exchange satisfied, and Brooklyn could even recoup the picks it spent to dump Simmons by flipping LaVine next year or the one after.”
As a professional, LaVine has averaged 20.5 points, 4.1 boards, 3.9 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.3 blocks a game for the Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves. Since Minnesota traded for Zach LaVine in 2017, Chicago has gone winless in postseason play.
Simmons had a stellar NBA career before injuries and a lack of jump shooting doomed him. He averaged 14.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.7 blocks while playing for the Nets and Sixers. In 2024–25, he will earn $40.3 million.