NBA Rumors: Zach LaVine Could Be Traded To Bucks For Package Centered On Donte DiVincenzo
A week before the 2020-21 NBA season officially starts, reigning MVP and DPOY Giannis Antetokounmpo has finally agreed to sign a five-year, $228 million supermax extension with the Milwaukee Bucks. Although they no longer need to worry about their best player hitting the free agency market next summer, the Bucks might continue to find ways to improve their current roster. One of the players that they could target before the 2021 trade deadline is Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls.
According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, the Bucks could offer a package centered on Donte DiVincenzo to acquire LaVine from the Bulls. In the proposed scenario, Milwaukee would be sending DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson, D.J. Augustin, E.J. Montgomery, and a 2022 second-round pick to Chicago in exchange for LaVine.
Despite his team’s recent lack of success, LaVine could be an incredible addition to the Bucks. Buckley believes that LaVine’s arrival in Windy City would help them address “some key deficiencies” in their backcourt.
“He’d instantly be a turbo-boost in the athleticism department, and he could provide some missing off-the-dribble shooting. He’s playing above his weight class as a top option in the Windy City, but he’s clearly kept his head above water as one of nine players to average 23 points and four assists both this season and last. He’s an explosive scoring threat, and if he could slot in behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton on the pecking order, LaVine’s shooting rates could spike.”
The successful acquisition of LaVine could make the Bucks a more dangerous team on the offensive end of the floor. He could give them a very reliable third scoring option behind Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, as well as a decent playmaker and an elite three-point shooter.
Last season, the 25-year-old off-guard averaged 25.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 45 percent from the field and 38 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN. What makes him a more intriguing addition to the Bucks is his ability to excel in an off-ball capacity, making him the ideal running mate for a ball-dominant superstar like the “Greek Freak.”
LaVine may not have shown a strong indication that he’s no longer happy with the Bulls but at this point in his career. However, he might be better off playing for a legitimate title contender, rather than wasting his prime on a rebuilding team. Compared to the Bulls, joining forces with Antetokounmpo and Middleton in Milwaukee could give him a realistic chance of winning his first NBA championship in the 2020-21 season.
