Zach LaVine Heads to Denver Nuggets in Proposed Trade

There's no question that the Chicago Bulls want out of the remaining three years and $138 million left on Zach LaVine's contract. And the Denver Nuggets would love to land another elite scorer to take some pressure off Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, and get back to the promised land of the NBA Finals.

With that, Zack Buckley of Bleacher Report has suggested a proposed trade that would work for both teams.

Denver Nuggets receive:

Zach LaVine
2029 first-round pick swap (top-three protected)

Chicago Bulls receive:

Michael Porter Jr.
Zeke Nnaji

The Nuggets are only a year and a bit removed from their championship, but they've lost two solid contributors since that time, in Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The team could use a refresh.

LaVine has been a 24+ point-per-game scorer for his last several full seasons (he only played 25 games last year due to injury), and is a two-time All-Star. He can create shots, spread the floor from the outside, and his presence would make it awfully difficult for teams to key so much on Jokic and Murray.

Porter Jr. has $114 million left over three years on his deal, and while it represents only a minor savings for the Bulls, in this proposed trade, they don't have to attach any draft picks outright, which is what many observers feel they'll have to do in order to rid themselves of LaVine.

Porter is also three years younger, and might even fit into a long-term plan in Chicago as they embark on a rebuild. Plus, with more responsibility in the offense, he could realistically get his average up closer to the 20 ppg mark.

Nnaji is still only 23 and was a first-round pick in 2020, so perhaps the 6'9" power forward can find his groove in the NBA with more playing time, which the Bulls should be able to afford.