NBA Trade Idea Sends $179M Denver Nuggets Star to Chicago Bulls

No team needs a major shakeup in the NBA more than the Chicago Bulls. The team has been trying for months to trade Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, while also trying to move forward with a youth movement. While the Bulls have failed to accomplish both goals, one NBA trade idea attempts to make both ideas a reality.

Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report has created a new hypothetical trade for the Chicago Bulls and Denver Nuggets that involves trading Michael Porter Jr. for Zach LaVine.

The Denver Nuggets host: Zach LaVine and a 2029 first-round pick swap (top three protected).

The Chicago Bulls receive: Michael Porter Jr. and Zeke Nnaji.

The Denver Nuggets could potentially use a third star like Zach LaVine to ease the load on Nikola Jokic as the team depleted its starters last season. Jamal Murray was that second star for Jokic, but when he’s cold, things get a lot more difficult for the team. The Nuggets’ biggest concern about acquiring LaVine in place of Michael Porter Jr. is the fact that LaVine played 25 games last season while Porter Jr. played 81.

For Chicago, Michael Porter Jr. is one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA. Last season, he averaged 16.7 points and 7.0 rebounds on 48/40/84 shooting. While Porter isn’t quite an All-Star, he’s just below that threshold and is only 26 years old with room to grow. The Chicago Bulls’ biggest concern about acquiring Michael Porter Jr. is the sheer size of his $179 million contract, but it’s still easier to manage than LaVine’s colossal contract.

While a trade of this magnitude represents a huge risk for both the Chicago Bulls and Denver Nuggets, it could potentially benefit both teams in an X-Factor type way.

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