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#3 San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are showing competitiveness with what many call a G League roster built around Victor Wembanyama. San Antonio, which has plenty of draft capital and cap room, could bolster the lineup by acquiring Zach LaVine. The Spurs could send Devonte’ Graham, Julian Champagnie, Zach Collins, Charles Bassey and a first-round pick for the high-flying guard.
Graham has a partially non-guaranteed contract and could be used as a backup or eventually waived. Champagnie is also on a team-friendly contract and could also be part of Chicago’s reserves. Collins can come in and start depending on what the Bulls get for Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan. Again, a future first-round pick will help them in the rebuild.
#2 Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic will likely allow Gary Harris and Markelle Fultz to walk away as free agents and get plenty of cap relief. To replenish their roster, they could acquire Zach LaVine for Wendell Carter Jr., Jonathan Isaac, Joe Ingles and a first-round pick.
The Magic can shed the contracts of Isaac, Carter and Ingles for the future extensions of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. They will still have plenty of cap space in the three years that LaVine will stay with the team.
The Chicago Bulls get perhaps their starting and backup center with Carter and Isaac. They can retain Ingles for veteran leadership and give him a bench role but can also waive him.
#1 Atlanta Hawks
Depending on what the Atlanta Hawks do with Dejounte Murray, a trade for Zach LaVine could be an option for them. The Hawks can send Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter for Zach LaVine. They don’t even need to add a first-round pick to the equation.
Hunter, who has been upstaged by the emerging Jalen Johnson, will be Chicago’s new starting small forward while Capela will play center. The former is on a team-friendly contract while the latter has one more year in his deal.
LaVine can be Trae Young’s new backcourt mate and bolster Atlanta’s offense. The Hawks can finally do away with the weird Young-Murray combo that miserably failed. Onyeka Okongwu can get the starting center job left by Capela while Johnson will be the Hawks’ star forward.
