No. 3: Darius Garland to the Bulls
This rumor is a blast from the past dating all the way back to December, when the Chicago Bulls first began shopping former All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine. That's a saga that has stretched out uncomfortably long, as the Bulls have not found the LaVine trade market to be a particularly frothy one.
LaVine is certainly a talented player, and it's not unreasonable to think he could be a more impactful and efficient player as the second or third option on a great team rather than the top option on a losing one. Even so, with his injury history and gargantuan contract ($40 million this season, then $136 million over the next three season) it's difficult to find a trade partner.
One team that absolutely won't be that partner? The Cleveland Cavaliers, who have absolutely no need for a player like LaVine. Yet that didn't stop the Bulls from calling the Cavs in December and pitching a trade centered around LaVine and Darius Garland.
Garland is a better player right now than LaVine, he plays a more important position, he is a better fit on the Cavaliers, he is younger and he is significantly cheaper. There is not a universe where it would make sense for Cleveland to swap Garland for LaVine, and that's potentially the thought process that ran through their heads before hanging up in Chicago's face.
Verdict: Cuckoo