Last week, the Chicago Bulls’ season officially ended after losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Going into the offseason, the big decision looming over the front office and fans alike is Zach LaVine. The two-time All-Star is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, and after some recent comments, fans are worried that he may be ready to leave the Windy City. Other fans, meanwhile, believe that LaVine is not worth the maximum contract he clearly desires. So, this begs the question: Has Zach LaVine played his last game for the Chicago Bulls?
Is Zach LaVine Worth a Max Contract?
Many fans and experts have argued that Zach LaVine should not receive max-contract money. This concern stems primarily stems from his recent knee injury. LaVine has been bothered by his surgically-repaired left knee since mid-January this season. This discomfort led LaVine to miss 13 games while looking like a shell of his usual self in others. Some have used this decline in play to justify not giving LaVine a new contract. Others argue that the nagging knee injury is too much of a risk for a max player.
First of all, using injured play to bash LaVine — or any player, for that matter — is a bad idea. Plenty of players have struggled while dealing with injuries just to return to their prior form when healthy. LaVine, like many other players, has already come back (and even improved) since a big knee injury. In addition, despite some fans having durability concerns, LaVine has only missed an average of 13.5 regular season games/year since his injury-shortened 2017-18 season. Numerous stars who aren’t generally considered “injury-prone” — including LeBron James, Jrue Holiday, Jimmy Butler, and Kyle Lowry — have missed more time than LaVine over the past four years.
Finally, some believe that LaVine isn’t good enough for a max contract, but that simply isn’t true. Plenty of teams give max contracts to players at or below Zach’s level of play. Tobias Harris, Michael Porter Jr., Andrew Wiggins, CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Jamal Murray, and De’Aaron Fox have all recently signed maximum contracts. Can you confidently say any of those players are better than Zach? In my opinion, they are, at best, at the same level as LaVine, and thus, he should be compensated similarly.
However, the big question isn’t if the Bulls should re-sign Zach, it’s if they will. Let’s look at this from both the player/agent and front office sides.
The Zach LaVine Side
The primary reason Zach LaVine — and agent Rich Paul — should want to stay in Chicago is simple: Money. The Bulls hold Zach’s Bird Rights, which means that they can offer him more money than any other team. It also means that they can go over the salary cap to re-sign him, a luxury not afforded to any other team competing for his services. Basically, if LaVine’s contract decision is all about money, the Bulls are his best landing spot.
Moreover, the Bulls’ recent success should incentivize Zach LaVine to stay in Chicago. Thanks to the team’s recent roster additions, the Bulls made the playoffs this season for the first time during his Bulls tenure. Though the team crumbled after the All-Star break, the team’s play in the early months of the season offers a glimpse into its upside. Out of the teams that both have the ability to bring in LaVine and would want to add him, not many offer the same success as the Bulls. The Bulls’ recent additions show a commitment to winning, and if Zach values that, he’ll seriously consider staying in Chicago.
The Front Office Side
The Bulls’ recent roster moves don’t just show a commitment to winning — they show a commitment to Zach LaVine. The roster is, in theory, built around Zach LaVine. This Bulls team, when healthy, is able to maximize his strengths while hiding his weaknesses. Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball, the team’s two most important perimeter defenders, missed significant time this season. When they’re on the court with LaVine, they hide his defensive weaknesses. We saw this earlier this season before Ball went down with an eventually season-ending knee injury. Meanwhile, veteran scorers DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic help take the scoring load off of LaVine. (Well, Vucevic wasn’t very effect this season, but hopefully that changes next year.) If the Bulls didn’t believe in Zach LaVine long-term, they wouldn’t have invested money and draft capital into these players.
The Bulls’ front office continues to emphasize that they are committed to Zach LaVine long-term. Asked about LaVine on Friday, president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas expressed confidence in the 27-year-old guard, saying, “I hope he’s here for a long time.” Though interviews don’t always mean much, the front office has never indicated anything other than wanting LaVine in a Bulls uniform for the foreseeable future.
Final Thoughts
Though Zach LaVine is likely to test the free-agent waters, a return to Chicago is beneficial to both sides. He’s part of the Bulls’ long-term plans, and at only 27 years old, he still has a long playing career ahead of him. So, in all likelihood, Zach LaVine has not played his last game in a Chicago Bulls uniform.