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.

The post Has Zach LaVine Played His Last Game for the Bulls? appeared first on Bulls Don't Lie.

With the Bulls bench being as great as it has been, where do you see Coby fitting into the lineup when he’s healthy? (@DieHardSosa/Twitter)

Wrigley – I think Coby still has a key role coming off the bench once he’s healthy. As great as the bench has been defensively, they haven’t been very good on the offensive end. That’s where Coby fits in. Last season, he averaged 15 PPG while making 36% of his threes. Without the responsibilities of being a starting point guard, he’ll be able to focus almost solely on scoring, which should be beneficial. He’ll provide the second-unit scoring punch the Bulls need.

 Davi – I think Coby White will be the player that provides scoring in the second unit. When Demar is in with the second unit Coby can take some heat off him. Ayo, Caruso and Troy bring a lot of energy and hustle but they aren’t high volume scorers like Coby can be. With Lonzo and Caruso being the PGs, the Coby White at PG experiment is likely over, so he can now focus on just getting the ball in the basket instead of trying to facilitate the offense. He might also be able to help out in crunch time if the Bulls need a ball handler. 

Riley – From watching the Bulls first 4 games this season, we can tell the bench needs one thing: scoring. Coby White brings scoring to this second unit. We’ve seen many times where Demar DeRozan will have to play in the second unit, just because they need some offense. Add Coby White to the mix, and you have a nice one two punch in that unit. 

Ricky –  When Coby returns from his injury I believe he’ll be a really important part of this team, mainly for his scoring abilities within a second unit that has struggled to score the ball. He also will help Demar out tremendously with his ability to catch and shoot the ball, a type of player that Demar needs next to him to succeed. I also think without the responsibilities of being a starting point guard he will improve greatly because he’ll only need to focus on his scoring.

I know it’s way early but at some point AK will have to add some size to the front court – who might be some realistic trade deadline candidates? (@AntonioBelisle/Twitter)

Wrigley – When looking for trade candidates for the Bulls, I looked at some of the teams I expect to be toward the bottom of the NBA when the trade deadline comes around. Three teams that come to mind are the Raptors, Magic, and Thunder. Toronto could move Khem Birch, who I wanted the Bulls to sign this offseason, if they continue to struggle without Kyle Lowry (traded to the Heat) and Pascal Siakam (shoulder injury, expected to return around Thanksgiving). Barring some miracle, Orlando will be a seller at the deadline, and former Bull Robin Lopez could become available. A reunion with the veteran center and Benny the Bull enthusiast could be an ideal scenario for Chicago. Finally, the Thunder are likely to move Derrick Favors before the deadline, whether that’s via trade or a buyout. Though the Bulls probably can’t afford him at his current salary (he’s making almost $10M this year and has a player option next year), they could sign him for a much lower price if he’s bought out.

Davi – A player I see the Bulls most likely going for, if anyone, is Thaddeus Young. Young was apart of the package to the Spurs for Demar Derozan and with him being a fan favorite, it was hard to see him go. The first few games of this season Young hasn’t seen the floor much and it’s very surprising given that he averaged 12 points a game last year. The reason he is not playing is unknown, but the Spurs may be looking to trade him and we could be a good candidate, making him have a reunion in Chicago. Another player that could be acquired is Brandon Clarke from the Memphis Grizzlies. Clarke has been a solid player so far in his young career, but last year he didn’t get many minutes behind a stacked frontcourt of Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, Kyle Anderson and Xavier Tillman. Now with the recent acquisitions of Steven Adams and Ziaire Williams they may be looking to move him. Although, recently he has been getting more minutes so that may not be the case anymore.

Riley – With as little of assets that the Bulls currently have, it is definitely possible they are still in a position to make a trade yet this season. If we’re talking realistic acquisitions, the first person who comes to mind is Marvin Bagley III. The former 2nd overall pick is in the need of a fresh start. He has fallen out of Sacramentos rotation averaging 2 ppg, and 4 rebounds(at the time of writing this). Bagley still has a ton of upside, especially off the bench for this team. If AK can give up a second round pick on a risky player like Bagley, the Bulls could definitely benefit.

Another player who would be a great fit for the Bulls is Thaddeus Young. Thadgic Johnson was moved to the Spurs this offseason as apart of the DeMar DeRozan deal. Thad was a top player on the Bulls last season, and it was sad to see him go. He brought energy and hustle to a team that was definitely lacking it last year. Its likely the Spurs would like to move him for more assets so could a reunion be in store? 

Ricky –  I think who the candidates are will be changing over the course of the year, based on both where the Bulls are in the rankings and where the rest of the league appears to be buying/selling wise. I think if the Bulls exceed expectations and are looking to make a deep playoff run a player like Jakob Poeltl would be someone worth giving up assets for. He’s an elite defensive big which is exactly what the Bulls would need off the bench. I’m not sure exactly how realistic the Spurs letting him go would be, unless they massively underperformed. I also could see Chicago not wanting to give up any more assets than they already have, and go with free agent big Ed Davis. Last time he played it was less than expected, but he’s not far removed from his days as Rudy Gobert’s backup who was able to make a positive impact even though he is undersized for the center position.

Why isn’t Billy moving P. Will to the bench so he can get some looks on offense and up his usage rate? We have plenty of guys who fit as a 5th option on a starting unit. (@Cheeseinmytummy/Twitter)

Wrigley – With Patrick Williams somewhat struggling out of the gate and the emergence of Javonte Green, this has been talked about a lot. I think the main thing that’s keeping The Paw in the starting lineup right now, besides his draft pedigree, is his defense, which continues to not be talked about enough. Additionally, he’s a very versatile, team-first player, which is a great thing to have in a starting lineup that has three, arguably four All-Star caliber players. Part of his struggles may stem from the injuries he’s been dealing with — Williams suffered a severe ankle sprain over the offseason and strained his shoulder on opening night. As he recovers from these injuries, specifically the shoulder, look for P. Will to get back on track.

Davi – I think this early in the season Billy Donovan is trying out lineups to help the development of Patrick Williams and improve the defense. Patrick is one of the best defenders on the team so having him in the starting lineup is key in the frontcourt especially with Vucevic and Derozan lacking a little bit. Also, benching Williams now may not be good for his development. It’s good for him to get lots of experience playing with all star caliber players.

Riley – I believe that Pat is in the starting lineup to help him further develop. Playing along playmakers like Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan can definitely help him out as a player. The starting lineup is in need of defense and Pat is the second best defender out of the starters. Taking him out of the lineup may not only mess with his development, but mess with the defense of the first unit. The second unit is stacked with defense minded players, and they don’t need another one in Patrick. Patrick Williams has star potential and Billy Donovan realizes it. Benching him wouldn’t necessarily be the right move. 

Ricky – I think that one of the biggest reasons to keep Pat in the starting lineup is so he can learn how to play with these guys. AK has made it obvious that his plan for the future, (at least the next 4 years) is to try and win with this current group of players. The only possibility that happens is the emergence of Pat as a star player, and Billy likely wants him to learn how to be a star while playing with the guys he’s currently playing with. I think most of his struggles this year root from his shoulder injury which is affecting him greatly. I also think these struggles are coming from a place of learning what his offensive role on this team is, and we’ve seen the same struggles from Lavine and Vucevic. The Javonte starting crowd has a good point about the present, but in my opinion it’s better to let Pat struggle now than in the future.

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Aminu came to the Bulls in the Nikola Vučević trade, which sent Otto Porter Jr., Wendell Carter Jr., and two first-round picks to the Orlando Magic. Though Aminu mostly came in the trade as salary filler (his $10M cap hit combined with Vučević’s salary to match that of Porter and Carter), he was expected to fill a nice bench role for the Bulls. That never really happened.

Aminu didn’t play for the Magic until early February due to a torn meniscus he suffered in 2019. He ended up playing in 17 games for the Magic before being traded, averaging 5.5 points on 40% shooting, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 21.6 minutes per game.

After being traded to the Bulls, Aminu saw a reduction in his playing time and his production dipped. Aminu only played in 6 games for Chicago, averaging 1.5 points on 20% shooting (he made two shots on April 30 and missed every other attempt), 3.2 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in 11.2 minutes per game. Aminu was frequently inactive as a “coach’s decision” despite the myriad of injuries and COVID protocols that impacted the Bulls roster.

Though some may argue that Aminu’s reduced production last season was due to his recovery, he’s never been a very effective player. His best defensive rating in a full season was 108.8 (league average in both offensive and defensive rating was 110.6 in 2019-20), and his only above-average offensive rating (116.3) came in 2018-19 with the Trail Blazers.

Al-Farouq Aminu Season Grade: F

I expected Aminu to fit into the Bulls rotation as solid wing depth, but he failed to even play significant minutes for this Bulls team. Unlike John Mulaney, Aminu’s making too much money to just be sitting on the bench. Aminu will reportedly pick up his 10 million dollar player option, which will severely limit the Bulls’ financial flexibility as they approach an offseason in which many expect significant roster turnover as several contributors (Lauri Markkanen, Daniel Theis, Garrett Temple, etc.) hit the open market and the team searches for a long-term answer at the point guard position. Aminu’s contract would be hard to get rid of: A trade would likely mean giving up future assets, and waiving and stretching his salary would sacrifice long-term financial flexibility for the team. The more likely scenario is that Aminu returns to being a mediocre player (which would be a good thing considering this last season) and carves a role out on the team as wing depth before entering free agency next offseason.

All stats via nba.com unless otherwise specified

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A report from the Chicago Sun-Times reveals which teams Lauri Markkanen would prefer to go to as a restricted free agent in 2021. But… will the Bulls match his offer sheet? And how would Lauri Markkenen fit on the Dallas Mavericks or New York Knicks?

Well… I suspect it wouldn’t be so swell. Watch above.

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