Contrary to what many people think, Zach LaVine’s future with the Chicago Bulls is up in the air right now. The shooting guard just finished a season where he finally made it to the NBA playoffs, although the Milwaukee Bucks easily took his team out in five games in the first round.
Now, LaVine is ready to test the waters of free agency and see what’s next for him. The young player has previously stated he has had a terrific time in Windy City, but nothing is certain about his future right now.
Even the Bulls are aware that Zach could start next season with a different franchise. They’ll try to keep him on board, but there are many franchises ready to steal the Slam Dunk champion from their hands.
Via KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago:
A prominent topic of conversation this week has been Zach LaVine’s future. Opinion — some of it educated, some of it guesswork — is varied on what the Chicago Bulls’ two-time All-Star guard will do when he hits unrestricted free agency on July 1.
But this much is certain: His return to the Bulls no longer is considered the slam dunk it once was.
Whether that stems from LaVine’s own exit interview with local reporters in late April or a genuine belief he will leave the franchise that still can pay him the most is unknown. What’s certain is that league gossip throughout this week has linked LaVine to at least four teams — Lakers, Trail Blazers, Mavericks, Hawks — with almost certainly more to follow.
LaVine, who is expected to have his arthroscopic knee surgery early next week, made it clear in his final media session that he will take his time to make his decision. The Bulls are fully expecting LaVine to take visits, be wined and dined and explore the unrestricted free agency he has earned.
This is a complex situation for the Bulls. Just last season, they added DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso to help LaVine thrive with this team. They made the playoffs and now it’s time to take it to the next level. However, as LaVar Ball recently said, perhaps the fact that he doesn’t want to lose the spotlight to DeRozan could play a major role in Zach’s impending decision.
