Sixers are wise not to pull trigger on Zach LaVine trade — yet
Just 11 games into the 2023-24 season, the Chicago Bulls and Zach LaVine appear ready to go their separate ways.
According to Shams Charania, NBA teams are "probing the availability" of LaVine after Chicago's 4-7 start to the year as the Bulls and their two-time All-Star share an "increased openness" about exploring a trade.
One team considered to be in contention for LaVine's services is the Philadelphia 76ers, who are believed to be monitoring the star player market following the departure of James Harden.
Yet, while the Sixers will do their due diligence when it comes to LaVine, John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports the team is in no rush to pull the trigger on a deal.
"It's my understanding the Sixers will look into this but I'm told they are happy with the way the team is playing right now and would probably lean towards waiting until the trade deadline for a big trade to see if there are any needs or injury issues," Clark shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Slow-playing any move that would drastically shake up their roster is a wise move on Philadelphia's end. With a record of 8-2, the Sixers have emerged as one of the premier teams in the East, currently sitting in first place in the conference.
Joel Embiid has been his typical MVP-self over the early part of the season, matching his PPG average from a year ago with 33.1 — tied with Luka Doncic for tops in the NBA.
Philadelphia's main concern entering this season was finding a running mate for Embiid after the Harden fiasco. While LaVine could still theoretically factor into that equation, surging guard Tyrese Maxey has greatly mitigated those concerns.
Just one game removed from a 50-point outing, the fourth-year pro looks like a surefire All-Star and a long-term building block for the Sixers. Maxey is averaging 28.4 points, 7.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds through 10 games this season while shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range.
LaVine, 28, remains a highly valuable wing player, averaging 21.9 PPG this season. Yet, his field-goal percentage (40.9) is his worst since 2017-18, while his three-point percentage (30.9) is the lowest of his 10-year NBA career.
One could easily attribute LaVine's slumping play to the turmoil in Chicago. Nevertheless, it's worth monitoring for the Sixers should they plan to uproot their roster to acquire a player in the second year of a five-year, $215.2 million contract.
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