5 All-Stars Pelicans could end up trading for this season
By Mat Issa
4. Zach LaVine
This is probably the most surprising name on this list, right? Unfortunately, ever since Lonzo Ball went down in the middle of the 2021-22 season, the Chicago Bulls have not been able to live up to the expectations the front office had when they first put this team together.
Now that the experiment has failed and that the team has fizzled into mediocrity, it won’t be long before the Bulls are looking to rebuild. And what better way to kickstart a rebuild than trading your two-time All-Star who is still 28 and is still under contract for at least another three years (four years if he picks up his player option)?
The Bulls already tried to shop LaVine at the deadline, and recently, they have been in talks with the Portland Trail Blazers about a potential Damian Lillard/LaVine swap.
LaVine isn’t as good as Siakam (particularly on defense). So, a trio of him, Williamson, and Ingram won’t be as potent on their lonesome. The good news, though, is that LaVine won’t cost the Pelicans as much as Siakam will. That means that whatever they lose in terms of the prowess of their Big 3, they gain in depth.
On top of that, LaVine is a much better offensive fit for the Pelicans. He’s a great enough shooter and slasher to effectively play off of ball-dominant guys like Williamson and Ingram. But he’s also a good enough on-ball player to buoy the offense when one or both of them is off the floor. This may be my favorite All-Star hypothetical for the Pelicans and the one that is the most realistic.