23 June 2023 , 22:44
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Zach LaVine reportedly has no interest in being traded to the New York Knicks this off-season.
LaVine has just finished his sixth season with the Chicago Bulls, where the franchise finished 10th in the Eastern Conference to make it to the play-in tournament. However, their season would end at that stage and now a busy off-summer awaits for the six-time NBA Champions.
The future of LaVine has been the subject of debate in recent weeks. The 28-year-old has just finished the first year of a max five-year contract worth $215 million which he signed in July 2022.
After a season which saw the 2014 NBA Draft No. 13 pick average 24.8 points with 4.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, there is doubt over whether he could remain in Chicago. As a result of that speculation, the Knicks are a team that have emerged as a possible destination for the guard.
However, according to the , via , that trade is not likely to happen. The article states that LaVine is not interested in being traded to the Knicks and, as a result, will not be making the switch to Madison Square Garden.
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The Knicks enjoyed a slightly better season than the Bulls in 2022/23, reaching the Eastern Conference semi-finals after finishing fifth in the standings after 82 games. However, their season came to an end with a 4-2 series loss to the Miami Heat.
Despite signing a max contract with the Bulls, the deal does not include a no-trade clause. As a result, LaVine does not have the full say over where he will be playing his basketball next season.
Zach LaVine's future at the Chicago Bulls is in doubt going into the off-season (Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)The Bulls had a rather quiet 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday night, only selecting one player in total. After a trade agreement with the Washington Wizards, the Bulls acquired forward Julian Phillips from Tennessee.
Free agency is fast approaching which will give all NBA teams the chance to further reshape their rosters ahead of the 2023/24 season. But what will happen with LaVine remains uncertain at this stage.
If the reports are to be believed and that he is not in favour of a trade to the Knicks, and if the Bulls are exploring the possibility of a deal, then some work will need to be done in the coming weeks. If the guard remains in Chicago, then he will have four years remaining on the deal he signed last July.