Chicago Bulls
Marquee player who needs a fresh start: Zach LaVine
As the NBA Trade Deadline quickly draws near, the Chicago Bulls are widely expected to be one of the more active teams. Whether they'll be able to find the right deals remains to be seen. However, Zach LaVine is going to be at the center of what the Bulls want to do at the deadline. One thing is pretty clear as both sides inch closer to a potential divorce, and it's that a fresh start is needed. Perhaps more than most other players on this list, LaVine is in desperate need of finding a path to a new team.
The Bulls are clearly heading down the path of a rebuild and LaVine is not at a point in his career where he's that open to another long, drawn-out build. Even though LaVine has become one of the most polarizing players in the league, a fresh start could be exactly what he needs. LaVine is a talented player but with the Bulls, he was never surrounded with the right supporting cast. LaVine as a team's best player is not ideal. But LaVine as a third or fourth-best player could be a blueprint toward success.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Marquee player who needs a fresh start: Max Strus
This may be a bit overreactionary but I can't help but wonder if we may be getting to the point where Max Strus would benefit from a fresh start. With the way the Cleveland Cavaliers are playing at the moment, it's not that outlandish of an idea. The Cavs are playing great basketball and that's largely without the presence of Strus in the lineup so far this season. He could be considered a bit of a luxury at this point. If he's not going to reclaim his starting spot, the argument could be made that he may benefit from a fresh start.
Strus is a good player and was very much that last season for Cleveland. Could he get back to that level this season again? Absolutely. However, there could be hesitance within the coaching staff in reinserting him back into the lineup when everything has been working seamlessly for the team without him. At this point, you'd have to question whether the Cavs should try to fix something that may not need fixing. It's quite an interesting spot the Cavs find themselves in.