The Chicago Bulls surprised a lot of people in 2021-22. At one point, in the first half of the season, they looked to be the best team in the entire Eastern Conference.
Obviously they ended up flaming out in the second half of the season and playoffs, but the success of the season as a whole cannot be overstated.
That said – it is unclear whether the front office will be ready and willing to return the same squad next year.
Zach LaVine is an unrestricted free agent this summer and could command a max contract worth over $212 million from the Bulls.
This week, during a conversation with David Kaplan of ESPN 1000 in Chicago, LaVar offered some interesting insight on what is happening in Chicago right now.
“[Zach LaVine] is gone,” he said.
“I’m gonna tell you why. It started off ‘Zach LaVine, Zach LaVine, Zach LaVine.’ OK, now you hurt, a few things happen. Guess who’s doing all the big plays. All I hear is, ‘DeMar [DeRozan]. DeMar. DeMar. DeMar.’ [LaVine] don’t wanna play second fiddle.”
LaVine has been pretty upfront regarding what he is looking for in his next contract. There isn’t much ambiguity there.
One team has actively expressed interest in adding him to the roster, while another hovers in the background as a logical choice. And obviously there is always the possibility that Chicago re-ups him.
This is going to be a big summer for LaVine and the Bulls. The decision that gets made regarding his future will have massive ramifications for him, the franchise and the league as a whole for many years to come.
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