Zach LaVine could be the most interesting story of the offseason as the star guard will be an unrestricted free agent. LaVine is eligible to sign a five-year deal with the Chicago Bulls, but, other teams may be also in the mix.
LaVine started a partnership with Klutch Sports at the end of the 2021-22 season. The agency headlined by super agent Rich Paul – a close friend of LeBron James- is among the top destinations for NBA stars the last few years.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the most the high-flying guard can now sign with the Bulls is a five-year, $212.3 million contract. If he chooses to sign with another team, the most he’s eligible for is a four-year, $157.4 million deal.
Bulls insider K.C. Johnson wrote back in May that LaVine’s return to the Bulls “no longer is considered the slam dunk it once was.” Johnson added that the Bulls expect LaVine to meet with other teams in free agency.
“I plan to enjoy free agency with what it is as a whole. I think you’re going to have to experience A-Z without making any fast decisions. I think that’s something that me and (agent) Rich (Paul) get to go through and experience,” he said at the Bulls’ season-end interview.
A recent report suggests teams like the Mavericks, the Hawks, the Blazers and the Lakers might be very interested in adding LaVine. LaVine was still one of the most productive members of his team playing alongside DeMar DeRozan despite Chicago’s early playoff exit.
Some teams (Blazers) will have real space to sign the scoring guard, while others (Mavericks, Lakers, Hawks) will have to try via ‘sign-and-trade’ or by adding a third team in the deal to relocate salary.
In reality, the Lakers are included in potential destinations because of their stature and LaVine’s ties to LA and Klutch Sports. The Blazers are the only team they can offer a max deal without moving any piece from their roster.
In any case, the UCLA product still recovers from a left knee surgery and he will be fully healthy coming next season. Playing through his injury, LaVine struggled in Chicago’s first-round series loss to the Bucks.
He was averaging 19.3 points per game on 42.9 percent shooting, both marks significantly down from his regular season averages of 24.4 points and 47.6 percent shooting. This summer is expected to be a significant one for the trajectory of LaVine’s career.
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