The Chicago Bulls doubled down on their championship dreams in 2023-24 and decided not to sell at the trade deadline, a decision that backfired spectacularly as the team failed to contend. Now, Chicago’s front office is likely going to sell low on star guard Zach LaVine with little to no leverage.

However, there could be a light at the end of the tunnel for the Bulls. The Miami Heat are looking to re-tool and make one more run at a championship with their current core, and they might view LaVine as the final piece they need.

Let’s take a look at how both teams could come together for a trade, as well as what a potential deal could look like.

Zach LaVine's NBA career and injury struggles

Zach LaVine is an explosive scorer who can simply catch fire and put up points in bunches.

The former UCLA guard came into the league with a reputation as an athletic specimen who would amaze crowds night in and night out while putting up mostly empty-calorie stats. He had shown potential as a shooter in college and had decent form on his jumper, but he needed to become more efficient in order to develop beyond a high-flying wonder and into a legitimate star player.

Indeed, the two-time Slam Dunk Contest champion did develop as a shooter and has transformed into one of the more efficient offensive players in the game when he is on the court. He has been able to maintain a close to 40% for his 3-point shooting on high volume while taking shots of significant difficulty.

LaVine frequently attempts stepback jumpers, sidestep jumpers, fadeaways and pullups from well beyond the arc. These types of shots put immense stress on the defensive players because they have to be ready to guard them at any time. They also have to deal with picking LaVine up all the way out near half-court because he’s liable to pull from near the logo or beyond, and he is capable of splashing those shots.

LaVine’s biggest problem is his durability. As the saying goes, the best ability is availability. Yes, some of his injuries can be attributed to old-fashioned bad luck. However, the truth is that his style of play puts him at greater risk for injury than most other players. Despite his development as a shooter, the multi-time All-Star is still at his best when he is playing aggressively, driving to the rim and attempting tough finishes around, through or over defenders. He’s great at converting these challenging shots because of his elite athleticism and unrelenting aggressiveness.

Unfortunately, the byproduct of this style of play is LaVine putting overwhelming stress on his joints, ligaments and muscles. The human body simply is not made to withstand the stress that he puts on his body. No matter how great of an athlete you are, that’s a challenge with no clear solution. He can train his body to withstand punishment, but there is punishment, and then there’s the type of stress that the 29-year-old puts on himself. That can’t be simulated, which makes it incredibly difficult to prepare the body to withstand.

Even when he is on the court, though, LaVine often struggles to make an impact on both ends of the court consistently. This is somewhat surprising, as one would think that a player with his athletic gifts would at least be an adequate defensive player.

Heat trade for Zach LaVine with Bulls

Bulls receive: Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and a 2026 second-round pick via Los Angeles Lakers

Heat receive: Zach LaVine, 2029 FRP and 2028 second-round pick

The Miami Heat held onto Jimmy Butler this summer despite rumors that they might consider dealing him. If they intend to make one more run at a championship with the Butler-Bam Adebayo duo, they should work to add one more star around the two and create a big three that can contend in the Eastern Conference.

LaVine would be a great talent to add to Miami’s core because he can score from all three levels and take pressure off of Butler.

In order to make the money work, any deal between these two teams involving with him will likely result in Miami sending sharpshooter Tyler Herro back to the Windy City. Additionally, Chicago may have to send draft capital to the Heat for them to take on LaVine’s contract.

Why the Miami Heat make this trade

Miami makes this deal because they need to upgrade the firepower on their roster in order to make one more good-faith run at a championship with this core before considering the possibility of breaking it up and shipping Adebayo or Butler out of South Beach.

Pat Riley should make sure that he does everything in his power to see what this team is capable of before splitting them up, and pushing in all his chips to acquire LaVine would certainly give the Heat a Finals-worthy core.

The former UCLA guard is also one of the few star-level players that Riley can buy low on, and this transaction would preserve Miami's flexibility for future moves.

Why the Chicago Bulls make this trade

It wasn’t too long ago that Chicago was expecting a king's ransom or at least a decent return for LaVine given his talent on the court. However, they opted not to sell at the deadline, and now they appear to be stuck. Instead of a robust market for LaVine’s services, very little demand appears to have materialized at all.

Not to mention that the Bulls appear headed for a rebuild after DeMar DeRozan left the team.

Moving LaVine’s contract could be a small win in and of itself in terms of giving the front office more flexibility as they rebuild the roster and go young. Additionally, a player of Tyler Herro’s caliber is likely the best return the Bulls could hope for in terms of current assets. Herro is far from perfect, but he’s a legitimate piece for a contender.

The former Kentucky guard might be a spotty defender, but he’s one of the best pure sharpshooters in the game and at just 24 years old, he’s young enough to be a key component of the Bulls roster for the next decade.

Duncan Robinson is more of a throw-in for salary-matching purposes, but he’s a quality player in his own right capable of getting hot from beyond the arc and keeping the defense honest. Chicago could also look to flip both of these players for future draft assets if they plan on entering a full rebuild.