Jazz reportedly approached about trading for this former All-Star

The Utah Jazz are among 15 teams that the Chicago Bulls have approached in regards to trading for former All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine, according to a report by NBC Sports Chicago.

Bulls Insider K.C. Johnson reported Thursday that Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas has “floated as many as 15 proposals centered on the two-time All-Star guard to various teams, including the Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers.”

It is all part of an offseason approach that has the Bulls putting “everything on the table,” after failing to make the playoffs for the last two seasons.

The Jazz were uniquely positioned to be able to win a sweepstakes involving LaVine, if desired, with a hoard of assets that ESPN’s Bobby Marks recently rated among the best in the league.

Of course, LaVine is still a member of the Bulls, which CBS Sports’ Jasmyn Wimbish noted is evidence that the trade proposal was not to the Jazz’s liking, nor the 14 other teams Chicago approached.

“Given that LaVine is still a member of the Bulls, those teams didn’t like what Chicago was trying to sell them,” Wimbish writes. “The Sixers had been a reported team interested in landing LaVine during the season, so were the Kings, and the Magic could desperately use his shotmaking and playmaking on a team that took the Cavaliers to seven games in the first round. But the cost of LaVine is what is stopping all these teams from pulling the trigger on a deal.

“The Bulls once had lofty expectations in a return for LaVine, but they don’t exactly hold all the leverage on a deal here unless they were to attach Caruso to entice opposing teams to give them a quality return. But LaVine by himself is a hard sell, especially with what he’s owed. However, at some point, the Bulls are going to have to move off him, and when that happens the most interesting thing will be what Chicago ends up getting in return.”

Utah CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge did say at the end of the regular season that the Jazz are going, “big game hunting” this offseason, after failing to make the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. Owner Ryan Smith has stated on multiple occasions that he wants to win a championship sooner rather than later.

LaVine, if fully healthy, would be a major addition, as the 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard has proven to be an electric All-Star-level scorer, as recently as the 2022-23 season when he played in 77 games and averaged 24.8 points per contest, while shooting 48% from the field and nearly 38% from 3-point range.

Of course, LaVine has struggled with serious injuries in recent seasons and has a contract that will pay him more than $40 million in each of the next three seasons.

ESPN projected a possible LaVine trade to Utah as follows:

• Guards Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso from Chicago to Utah in exchange for Jordan Clarkson, John Collins and a 2025 first-round draft pick (from Utah via Cleveland).

That trade idea was outdated, though, as of Thursday afternoon, after the Bulls traded Caruso to Oklahoma City in exchange for forward Josh Giddey, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

With the NBA season officially over, trade season has arrived, which means the Jazz will be mentioned in plenty of trade rumors. It remains to be seen if the Jazz will elect to go through with any of them, even ones involving former All-Stars.