Now or Never: Sixers should strongly consider reopening the doors on Zach LaVine ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline

Despite the countless reports that the Sixers have shown little-to-no interest in Chicago Bulls’ guard Zach Lavine, they should probably consider changing up their mindset.

Due to Joel Embiid’s knee injury and the fact that he could and, more importantly, should miss time to heal himself and get right for the playoffs, the Sixers must do everything they can to stay afloat.

Latest on the Zach LaVine Trade Market

.@KCJHoop with the latest on the Zach LaVine trade market:

"That's the perception from other teams around the league is that he has not done much to impact winning." pic.twitter.com/1bHoMKu29y

— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) January 31, 2024

Organizational Malpractice: Why did Joel Embiid play last night against the Golden State Warriors? >>

Listen, I’m not saying the Sixers should be “all in” on a Zach Lavine trade but if they could get a package centered around Lavine and Caruso I do believe it would give them a much better chance in the playoffs this season rather than just making a trade for role players or players found in the veteran buyout market, which never seems to work out with Daryl Morey.

Lavine’s trade value seems incredibly low, and maybe, just maybe, Daryl Morey could get him for a very good bargain.

The key here is that Embiid needs to rest his knee, and you’re never going to be able to make up for him not being on the court because he is arguably the best player in the world.

However, if you can bring in a guy like Lavine who has averaged 25 points per game since arriving in Chicago, you’re certainly making up for the lack of scoring to the best of your ability.

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There’s also something to be said about making life for Tyrese Maxey much easier. I’m one of Maxey’s biggest fans, but it’s quite clear he can’t be the best player on a team with championship aspirations. That’s not a knock, there are maybe only 5-10 players in the league you can realistically say that about.

Maxey is the perfect compliment to Embiid.

Then we discuss how Lavine fits into the picture once Embiid is back in the lineup. Lavine is a lethal three-point shooter who’s hitting 39% of his threes on a high-volume 7.6 attempts per game over the last four seasons. The Sixers are in the bottom half of the NBA in three-point attempts per game, and adding a guy like Lavine would help that a ton.

Plus, Lavine, as your second or third option in the playoffs, makes you a terrifying offense for any team to defend.

The problem here, though, is Lavine’s contract and injury history. That is why teams are reluctant to trade for the star scoring guard. Lavine is making $40 million this season, and he’s owed $43 million next season.

To make matters worse for the Sixers, Lavine has been plagued with knee injuries very similarly to Embiid. While he was able to play 77 games last year, he hasn’t played more than 67 in any season between 2016-17 and 2021-22.

A Zach Lavine trade appears very unlikely for the Sixers, but I’d have to imagine Morey is trying to work his magic behind the scenes to add another “star” level player to the team as they brace for the stretch run.

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