Zach LaVine may be available, but does he fit in Philly? Sixers remaining patient, source says.
The Bulls and LaVine reportedly have “increased openness” about exploring a trade. But the Sixers are the NBA's hottest team and don't need to rush to the market for new players.
The Zach LaVine-to-Philly hype is a bit premature.
Some 76ers fans might have their hopes up with news breaking today that the Chicago Bulls and the two-time All-Star have “increased openness” about exploring a trade, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. However, they may have to push the pause button for a moment.
Sources have said the Sixers are pleased with their early play and newfound depth, and likely will wait until later in the season to explore trade opportunities when needs will be more evident or to shore up the team in the event of an injury.
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The Sixers believe a patient approach also aligns with the fact that they’re expected to have more salary-cap space than any contender this offseason.
Joel Embiid, Paul Reed, and Jaden Springer are the only Sixers with standard NBA contracts that go beyond this season. The Sixers intend to have enough cap space available to sign Tyrese Maxey and an A-list free agent to lucrative contracts.
LaVine is making $40 million in the second season of the five-year, $215.1 million contract he signed on July 7, 2022.
The Sixers may still investigate LaVine’s potential availability, but it is unclear if LaVine or any of the Bulls’ high-salary players are a good fit in the system that first-year Sixers coach Nick Nurse is implementing. Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has said that any acquisition would have to be for a player who excels at both ends of the court. Right now, Chicago’s stars — like LaVine and DeMar DeRozan — don’t fit that description.
In addition, the Sixers are the league’s hottest team with Maxey and Joel Embiid leading the way. At 8-1, the Sixers hold the best record in the NBA. And they have a league-best eight-game winning streak.