NBA Rumors: If the Denver Nuggets are serious about acquiring Zach LaVine, there is one part of the deal that could make it all fall apart.
Over the past week, aside from all the Jimmy Butler noise, one of the bigger surprises that have emerged from the rumor mill is the idea that the Denver Nuggets are interested in pursuing a deal for Zach LaVine. In an attempt to retool their supporting cast in hopes of jump-starting the team into the second half of the season, the Nuggets are looking for big possible moves to their roster.
And LaVine is a name that the Nuggets have at least a good amount of interest in. At least that's what has been indicated in the recent reporting. Whether the Nuggets will actually pull the trigger on what would likely be a Michael Porter Jr. for LaVine swap remains to be seen. However, less than two months before the NBA Trade Deadline, the Nuggets do have interest and, you would assume, have been talking with the Bulls about the possibility of a deal.
Interestingly enough, there is one part of what a deal could look like between the two sides that could keep this blockbuster trade from happening. In one version of a potential deal between the Nuggets and Bulls, Denver would be sending Zeke Nnaji to Chicago. However, according to a recent report from Chicago Bulls insider K.C. Johnson, the team would have "no interest" in bringing back Nnaji in any deal involving LaVine.
Does a Michael Porter Jr. for Zach LaVine swap even make sense?
It may seem like a small part of the deal but this is one of those situations that could end up killing trade talks. It's happened in the past with other teams with other blockbuster talks and could very well happen between the Bulls and Nuggets. Nnaji just signed a four-year extension and is due roughly $23 million over the next three years. It's not a huge deal but if the Bulls are going to lean into a rebuild or retooling on the fly, it's certainly not a contract they want limiting them.
At the end of the day, the Bulls must decide whether a LaVine for MPJ swap even makes sense. If they just are swapping one back contract for a bigger one, is this the type of move that is even worthy for the Bulls? Sure MPJ is a good player but he's not better than LaVine and while he may be younger, I'm not sure how much room he has for growth as a player. To be perfectly honest, he may have already hit his ceiling as a pro.
You can see the value in such a deal for the Nuggets, especially if you buy into the narrative that their core has already hit its ceiling, but it sure sounds like Chicago has some big questions to ask as they move forward toward such a big potential deal.