According to NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Chicago Bulls are interested in acquiring Kevin Huerter from the Sacramento Kings.
The Bulls have done background on Huerter and would try to acquire him if they trade Zach LaVine to the Kings.
“There had also been some Zach LaVine chatter a little bit earlier in the season,” Scotto wrote. “I had heard the two names that came up there from Sacramento during trade conversations were Kevin Huerter and Harrison Barnes. From Chicago’s side, there is a level of interest in Huerter for sure. To my understanding, they’ve done background intel on him trying to figure out what’s going on there and why he has struggled a little bit this year. He’s a player that they’ve liked.”
According to NBA insider Sam Amick of The Athletic, LaVine would be very amenable to a Sacramento move that would make him De’Aaron Fox’s backcourt mate. LaVine doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract, though, so he can’t control where he gets traded.
Huerter is averaging 9.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks this season while shooting 41.6% from the field, 33.0% from beyond the arc and 80.6% from the free-throw line. The guard is making $15.7 million.
The Bulls don’t want to rebuild if they trade LaVine, who is averaging 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season while shooting 44.2% from the floor, 33.1% from 3 and 85.4% from the foul line. Huerter is only 25, so Chicago could add him to its young core of Coby White, Patrick Williams and Ayo Dosunmu.
A Maryland product, Huerter has career averages of 12.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.3 blocks with the Atlanta Hawks and Kings. The New York native signed a four-year, $65 million rookie scale contract extension with the Hawks in October 2021.