Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine. Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Zach LaVine not sweating his contract situation

Originally posted on Game 7 | By Anthony Amador | Last updated 7/10/21

Zach LaVine is fresh off something of a breakout year with the Chicago Bulls. He was so good, in fact, that not one but two different teams tried to trade for him.

After being a bit of a one-trick pony for the vast majority of his career, LaVine emerged as an absolute beast on the offensive end this season – averaging a career 27.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.

Better still, he was insanely efficient in getting his points: 50.7 percent from the field and nearly 42 percent from beyond the arc.

LaVine is eligible for a four-year, $104 million extension this summer, and coming off a career year many are wondering what his next move will be.

This week, LaVine did a media call where he addressed his contract situation.

“I think that’s going to play out the right way,” he said. I’m not even worried about it right now. But we should be in talks soon. And we’ll see what happens.”

LaVine becomes an unrestricted free agent next year. At that point, he will be eligible for a five-year, $200 million deal.

Following an up and down 2019-20 campaign, the Bulls have made it no secret what their plan for the summer is. After acquiring Nikola Vucevic from the Orlando Magic ahead of the NBA trade deadline, they now have their sights on another superstar. If that happens, the team immediately catapults into Eastern Conference title contention.

But retaining LaVine is a crucial part of that puzzle. Will Chicago ultimately be able to do so? Time will tell.

This article first appeared on Game 7 and was syndicated with permission.

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