If it was a trade being thrown around last season, it would have been a no-brainer.
The flaws of Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons for the flaws of the Bulls’ Zach LaVine.
Done.
After all, 6-foot-11 point guards don’t exactly grow on trees, so the Bulls would have seemingly welcomed Simmons into the mix.
What’s changed?
One player has accepted a new coach and has been humbled enough to make improvements in his game, while the other is Simmons.
Sure, it’s a fun little NBA rumor still circulating around out there, LaVine and a contract like Cristiano Felicio’s for Simmons, but the stakes have changed.
As Bulls fans have seen, especially the last five games, LaVine is scoring as smoothly as he ever has, is actually putting his feet in the ground and trying to be an adequate defender – trying – while his awareness as a play-maker have him emerging as the team’s best point guard, despite that role belonging to fellow starter Coby White.
Evidence of that has come late in games, with the ball usually in LaVine’s hands and White playing off the ball the last five contests.
“I feel like it’s just on how we’re playing and how the team is guarding me versus how they’re guarding Coby or Sato [Tomas Satoransky], whoever’s in the game at that time,’’ LaVine said, when asked about his late-game point guard duties. “If I have it going or if they’re doubling me, it’s easy for me to make that read and then if it’s Coby or somebody else and they’re playing on the backside, we’re just keeping the ball moving instead of me sometimes going to the corner and sitting here waiting for the ball to come. But I think that’s just how it’s been the last couple games, it might change.’’
What hasn’t changed? Simmons is in Year 4, has shown little interest in developing his outside game, is still easy to gameplan for come playoff time, and rather than displaying an ability to make others around him better under new coach Doc Rivers, seems to be shrinking in the wake of Joel Embiid’s MVP early-season push and Tobias Harris finally showing some consistency since arriving in the City of Brotherly Love.
Simmons has somewhat become expendable for the right deal.
LaVine would be that type of right deal. Just not for the Bulls.
If trading LaVine picks up momentum for this new regime, it would have to fit the timeline they are working on, and it would also have to give them like-talent – or close to it – with the flexibility to add assets.
Not an easy get even with LaVine looking for a contract extension that puts him in that $30-$35 million a year zip code.
Then there’s Houston.
A team that is locked into several pricey long-term deals that make it almost impossible for a total rebuild, but is carrying a ton of draft assets after the trade that sent James Harden to Brooklyn.
LaVine to Houston for Victor Oladipo and one of three possible first round picks in the 2021 NBA Draft would be beneficial to both teams.
LaVine would give the Rockets a push for at least a play-in game in the Western Conference, comes with a favorable contract that can be moved or extended, and allows Houston to lighten the load of three picks in the first round of a draft that eventually all could come up for extension at the same time.
Oladipo knows coach Billy Donovan well, is a tremendous defender, and has an expiring contract that will allow the Bulls flexibility to either let him walk or see if common ground can be reached. Then there’s the extra pick for a loaded 2021 draft.
It’s a win-win.
A scenario for the Bulls that Simmons for LaVine no longer provides.
