Will hot start make Zach LaVine a prime trade deadline target?

NBA Rumors: After a hot start to the season, Zach LaVine could once again be one of the top candidates for the NBA Trade Deadline.

It's amazing how quickly things and circumstances can change in the NBA in just a few months. Still, we may be at that point with Zach LaVine. A few months ago, LaVine's trade value was at zero. The Chicago Bulls apparently really wanted to trade him before the offseason, but couldn't get any team to take a bite. Now, after a particularly hot start to the season, there's a chance that everything has changed.

Through the first four games of the season, LaVine has played some of the best basketball of his career. Entering the season, LaVine is averaging 26 points, six rebounds and three assists per game while shooting 55 percent from the field and 46 percent from 3-point range. For a player coming off his least productive season in seven years, LaVine rebounded tremendously in the first week of the season.

LaVine is playing so well that the argument could be made that has laid the foundation for rebuilding the narrative around him and, perhaps most importantly for him and the Bulls, his trade value.

At this point, it's impossible to overlook how good LaVine has been this season. It would be stupid to do that. He deserves praise and now that he's finally healthy, he's putting in the performance he deserves. It's also become pretty clear that working with DeMar DeRozan wasn't ideal. That much has become clear as he has played this season without DeRozan by his side.

The big question, of course, is whether there will be a strong market for him by the trade deadline. Two things play a role here. First, assuming the Bulls still want to trade DeRozan, this could be the case. We have to assume that nothing has changed for Chicago, even though they are off to a solid 2-2 start to the season.

Second, will teams be willing to trade real assets for LaVine this time? A big reason he wasn't traded in the offseason was the lack of a market. Now that he's started to rebuild his reputation (and his trade value), expect some of that to come back on the market. And as teams become more desperate, LaVine may be the better option.

Despite his recent play, I still can't imagine the Bulls' asking price would be high. Deep down, I still believe Chicago is desperate to move on from it and move toward a new building. With his game rebounding, there is a real chance for a team to “steal” LaVine before the NBA trade deadline.

The questions are: Will the right team emerge and how desperate are the Bulls to move on from LaVine?