RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks was spotted working out with one of his team’s alleged trade targets, Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls, in Los Angeles.
Both Barrett and LaVine are clients of famed NBA coach Drew Hanlen, who posted the photo on his Instagram account.
Barrett is expected to play for NBA stack Canada in the FIBA World Cup next month, while LaVine is training for next season since he is not on Team USA. It is unclear whether he declined or was not invited.
But LaVine’s future is the subject of speculation this summer after Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported last month that the Bulls were quietly evaluating LaVine’s trade market.
The Knicks made contact with the Bulls about LaVine, according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz, but “never got close.”
“Other All-Stars have been in and out of rumors over the years, including this summer. New York reached out to the Chicago Bulls about their shooting guard, Zach LaVine, but the asking price for the two-time All-Star was “gargantuan,” as a league source told The Athletic, which is exactly why LaVine remains in Chicago. The Knicks and Bulls, according to league sources, have never gotten close,” Katz wrote.
LaVine, a two-time All-Star, averaged 24.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 77 games with the Bulls last season, after undergoing successful left knee surgery the previous offseason . He has four years left on his five-year, $215 million contract.