As Minnesota president / coach, Tom Thibodeau once sent Zach LaVine to Chicago in a 2017 transaction for Jimmy Butler.
But the Knicks coach didn’t seem to mind reuniting with the current Bulls guard, noticing his improvement. It is speculated that Bulls would put LaVine on the trading block before becoming a free agent in 2022. This could be before the March trading deadline, this summer, or at the next trading deadline.
The Knicks need more points, and LaVine is a sniper – one of the best dunkers in the NBA. He has an average of 26.8 points and 5.3 assists. SNY reported during the summer that LaVine will be on the Knicks radar.
The biggest advantage that the Knicks would have over many interested teams is that they have $ 18 million in space to absorb a big contract, without offering too much salary. He is one of many players on Knicks’ radar, sources say. Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf may be reluctant to share LaVine with Thibodeau, saying the Bulls parting was ugly.
Before losing 110-102 Monday night to the Bulls, in which LaVine scored 21 points in the 8-of-16 shootout with five rebounds, Thibodeau was asked about LaVine’s evolution since eliminating him from Minnesota. Ironically, Butler’s addition to Minnesota created friction with the young players and led to Thibodeau’s dismissal two years ago.
“I think it has continued to grow every year,” Thibodeau said. “I think sometimes we tend to forget the steps that players take to get to where they are today. and for Zach he started, I think he scored around 13 or 14 points in a game in his first year. Then there was a four-point jump. Now he’s up to 26, 27. He shoots 50, 40, 90. He’s an elite shooter. He is a great athlete. … But he’s a great guy, a hard worker. So you knew it was going to keep getting better. He plays at a very high level. ”
The Knicks also have a lot of draft picks, including two first-round picks this year.
First-year Bulls coach Billy Donovan recruited Julius Randle when Donovan was in Florida. Randle in Kentucky. Now, Randle has a year of career and is doing well on the 3-point line (37.5%) and could be on the verge of forming his first All-Star team.
“Thibs puts him in situations that play into Julius’ strengths,” Donovan said. “It simply came to our notice then. He has excellent legs and the ability to handle the ball. He worked hard on his shots. Shoot the ball much better. At the beginning of his career, he’s a guy you left alone and you’re trying to block the paint. Now make midrange, 3s, put it on the floor. He is a heckuva driver … He continues to evolve and grow as a player. ”
Donovan has coached Knicks backup center Nerlens Noel for the past two seasons at OKC. Like Randle, he recruited Noel, but lost to Kentucky. Noel, who signed a $ 5 million one-year deal with the Knicks in November, missed his second consecutive knee pain game.
“I loved him,” Donovan said. “I recruited him after leaving high school. I’ve never received many of these NBA guys. He is a great teammate and loves the way he plays the game with a great ability to block shots. He sees the floor well for a big guy. It was great for us at OKC. He gave us two incredible years there – all about the team. ”