Chicago Bulls
Unexpected gift: The sudden trade interest in Zach LaVine
The Chicago Bulls entered the season with the tall task of attempting to move beyond their current build in an attempt to enter a new era of basketball for the franchise. However, one key part of pulling off such a pivot would require trading Zach LaVine, a task that seemed almost impossible just a few months ago. Even though it still may seem somewhat unlikely, there appears to be a sudden trade interest in LaVine a couple of months ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
Whether or not the Bulls are able to trade LaVine remains very much a question. However, the fact that it's even a possibility at this point has to be considered a huge unexpected gift for the franchise. If the Bulls are able to pull off a move of LaVine ahead of the trade deadline, it will certainly put this team in a much better place as they move forward as a franchise. LaVine had his ups and downs in a Bulls uniform but at this point, it's probably in the best interest of both sides to move on from each other.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Unexpected gift: A surprising dominant start to the season
Even with all the talent that they have on their roster, I'm not sure there were many expecting the Cleveland Cavaliers to get off to as hot of a start as they've gotten off to so far this season. For the majority of the year, the Cavs have been the most dominating team in the league. As we approach the 30-game mark of the season, the Cavs continue to have the best record in the league. At this point, the Cavs look like a team that is going to have staying power amongst the elite contenders in the league.
More than anything, that's what the Cavs should be grateful for this season. With the way last season ended, it was difficult to predict what this season was going to hold for the team. However, at least through the first two months of the season, the Cavs look like a legit contender in the Eastern Conference. If there's any team that's going to give the Boston Celtics trouble in the East, it appears as if that team is going to be the Cavs. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure anyone could've predicted that before the start of the season.