CHICAGO — With Zach LaVine becoming an unrestricted free agent this offseason, questions arise about whether or not the 6’5 star will stay in Chicago.
After being offered a four-year, $78 million contract from the Sacramento Kings in 2018, the Bulls matched it and retained him for the following years.
If the Bulls re-sign him, he is eligible for a maximum contract that would pay him approximately $200 million across five years.
LaVine’s health has been a cause for concern. He tore the ACL in his left knee while playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2017 and has been dealing with knee pain ever since.
In a January 2022 loss to the Golden State Warriors, LaVine left the game four minutes in due to soreness in the same knee. That loss was one of 15 games that LaVine missed this regular season.
Even with the knee pain, LaVine has proven to be a lethal offensive threat for the Bulls, averaging 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on 47.6 percent shooting from the field and 38.9 percent from 3. A UCLA alum, Zach has paired well with DeMar DeRozan and has been a key player to Chicago’s success this year.
Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas stressed in his end of season media availability session that he hopes for “continuity” in the Bulls roster. He believes that “results come…when you keep the same group longer.”
In LaVine’s own exit media interviews, the high-leaping former slam dunk champion expressed that “I plan to enjoy free agency” and explore his options with his agent Rich Paul and Klutch Sports.
Despite that, until there is concrete news, the question remains:
Will the Chicago Bulls re-sign Zach LaVine?
