In a chat with ESPN’s Jamal Collier, a Bulls member called out one of his own amid internal chaos. In a scathing statement, the Bulls rep accused LaVine of being selfish and called on him to try a different approach instead of the one that is bringing the whole team down.
“He’s never won, he’s done it his way the whole way and never won,” said the source, via ESPN. “If he’s interested in winning, he’ll do what’s asked of him. And if he’s motivated to not be here, one way is to come, be compliant and be who he is.”
The Bulls have fallen on hard times since the departure of Jimmy Butler. After acquiring Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Lonzo Ball years ago they thought they could make noise in the East for years to come. Sadly, that just hasn’t been the case and now things are worse than ever with their young star completely checked out on the club.
LaVine, 29, has been a major source of grief for the Bulls. He was a 2x All-Star for the franchise and is averaging 24.2 points per game over seven seasons with the team. On paper, he was just the kind of player who should excite Bulls fans but between his poor defense, streaky shooting, and poor decision-making, LaVine has yet to achieve anything of substance since joining the franchise.
And after multiple failed attempts at a playoff run, both LaVine and the Bulls have grown restless with the situation.
Things got so bad last season that when LaVine asked for a trade, he was shut down and taken off the rotation for the remainder of the games. Obviously, the Bulls expected to find LaVine a new home by now but there isn’t a team in the league willing to absorb his three-year, $136 million contract right now.
So, with LaVine likely to be on the roster this October, he’ll have some big choices to make on his NBA future. If he wants to keep trying to force his way and land with a new team, it could have devastating effects on his reputation and value in the league.
But if he wants to win, he may have to accept the situation and commit to playing out his contract with the Bulls. With LaVine, Vucevic, and Lonzo Ball, they can still contend for a play-in spot next season.
Without DeMar DeRozan, it remains to be seen if they can challenge the elites like the Celtics, Bucks, and New York Knicks. But after so much controversy and drama from the Bulls, nobody is expecting them to be a threat in 2025 or anytime soon after that.
As for LaVine, the only way to increase his trade value is to play like a star on the court and he just hasn’t been good enough to justify giving up significant assets in any deal. For now, LaVine’s fate rests in his own hands and how he decides to proceed after battling the Bulls to a stalemate last season.
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