DALLAS – It’s all well and good that Zach LaVine is the latest Bull to be churning in the rumor mill.
Leading up to Wednesday’s 114-105 loss to Dallas, there were multiple reports the last few days that the 76ers have LaVine on their radar as far as a trade target.
One problem: This two-way dance can’t happen without a willing partner.
According to a source close to the situation, the Bulls have no intention of trading LaVine anytime soon, and even if that changes – a very big if – it’s very unlikely that the 76ers fit the profile of what the Bulls would realistically be looking for in return.
But this is the space that the Bulls and coach Billy Donovan will have to work in this season, courtesy of the front office’s decision to bring the core of the roster back, despite two-plus years of underachieving.
Players like LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic have each publicly insisted that the feeling in the locker room was that at least one of them would go if this season wasn’t a promising one by February.
Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas was asked last month about the lifespan of this core, but was only taking the optimistic scenario.
According to Donovan, Karnisovas has told him nothing different than that.
“They’ve never once said to me, ‘Hey, this group has until the trade deadline, this group has until December …’ That’s never been talked about,’’ Donovan said. “Everything that’s been talked about, at least in my conversations with (Karnisovas), has been about getting the most out of the team. … I have not sensed anything from them where this is in the way, and guys are like, ‘I’m noy going to be here, why should I put forth effort?’
“I don’t think (the front office) would come and talk to me about something that would be speculative. So my focus is day-to-day, game-to-game.’’
That was obvious against the Mavericks, as it became obvious very quickly what gameplan the coach was rolling out for all-world scorer Luka Doncic.
Doncic came into the showdown averaging just under 40 points per game through the early part of this season, and with Kyrie Irving sitting out, it was all about Bulls defenders making life as difficult as they could for Doncic.
That meant double-teams and blitzing him whenever he had the ball, taking the approach that anyone but Doncic had to beat the Bulls.
An approach that worked, as the Bulls held him to just eight points on 2-of-9 shooting in the first half, while forcing Doncic into three turnovers.
Meanwhile, Mr. Trade Rumor – LaVine – hit 5-of-6 from three-point range in that first half, scoring 17 of his 22, and giving the Bulls the lead going into the locker room.
Project “Stop Luka’’ didn’t end there, either, as the Bulls held him to just four points in the third, taking an 83-81 lead into the final stanza.
Trading body blows turned into haymakers in the final two minutes, and unfortunately for the Bulls (2-3), it was the Mavs connecting.
Up three, Jaden Hardy hit a three-pointer to go up six, and then after a Vucevic miss it was Josh Green nailing a three to go up nine with 56 seconds left. Basically, the dagger.
One positive was with DeRozan finishing the night with 16 points, he surpassed Larry Bird for 38th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
The same DeRozan that was also a trade candidate coming into the season.
“It’s just hard to believe that I’m even at the number I’m at,’’ DeRozan said of the milestone. “To be sitting anywhere past any type of legend (like Bird) is beyond an honor to me.’’