Western Conference semifinals preview: Denver Nuggets vs. Portland Trail Blazers

The trade market the Chicago Bulls have attempted to generate for Zach LaVine has continued to be tepid and their improved play without him over the past few weeks has done nothing to improve the situation.

“Two things have to happen for the Bulls and for Zach LaVine to even have a chance, I think, really, for a trade at the deadline,” said Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday evening. “He has to show teams that he’s healthy. And he has to show them he can impact winning. This team has played much better without him. And with his contract, in this new salary cap, at a deal if you have to take him on just under $200 million left on his contract. You’ve got to believe this player is healthy and can impact winning.

“There’s no market for Zach LaVine right now. There’s not been. And even him playing maybe increasingly better closer to the deadline, it just may not be there.

“This is a Bulls’ organization that, listen, would like to find a deal for him. And they’d like to get something back. That might be asking too much. They may in the end just have to be glad they can find a team that will take on his contract.”

LaVine re-signed with the Bulls in 2022 on a five-year, $215 million deal and then kept Nikola Vucevic last offseason on a three-year, $60 million extension.

“The Bulls do not want to do a teardown. They’re not trying to do that,” added Wojnarowski.

Jalen Johnson will undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will be out for the remainder of the season. Johnson finishes his fourth NBA season with averages of 18.9 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 35.7 minutes over 36 games.

Johnson suffered the injury last Thursday against the Toronto Raptors.

Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks agreed to a five-year, $150 million contract extension before the start of the season.