Zach LaVine has gone from a promising young player for the Timberwolves to a two-time All-Star for the Bulls. After seven brutal losing seasons, he won an Olympic Gold medal in 2021 and finally tasted playoff basketball last season.
LaVine has built the Bulls into a promising team on the rise. Could he leave now, after putting in so much work to improve himself and the team?
Ahead of free agency opening on June 30, let's take a closer look at LaVine's current contract, what he stands to make moving forward, strengths and weaknesses at this point of his career and finally, where he could land if he does decide to move on from the Bulls.
Zach LaVine's contract details
If LaVine were to re-sign with the Bulls, he would be eligible for a five-year deal that would pay him $212 million. The Bulls are the only team that could offer him a fifth year because they have his bird rights.
LaVine is an unrestricted free agent, so he could sign somewhere else to any team with cap space. He would be leaving $55 million on the table by doing so. The maximum any other team could offer him is four years and $157 million.
Zach LaVine strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
LaVine is one of the best scorers in the league. His pull-up 3-point shooting is elite, and he can score easily from all three levels. For years before the Bulls finally got him some help in DeMar DeRozan, defenses loaded up on LaVine because of the lack of offensive talent around him. He still found ways to put the ball in the hoop.
LaVine combines extraordinary shooting ability with A+ athleticism. Knee injuries have not robbed him of his speed and leaping ability. He's still one of the best dunkers in the league and unstoppable in transition.
LaVine has also gotten better in recent years at making the simple reads. He frequently gets double-teamed, because nobody is stopping him one-on-one. He is a willing passer that will trust his teammates.
LaVine has gotten better every year, and that is a testament to his outstanding work ethic. He's a high-character superstar that has been beloved by teammates and coaches at every stop that he's been to.
Weaknesses
While LaVine has gotten better as a passer, he is still only average in that area. He's not making the advanced reads of players like Luka Doncic or Trae Young.
LaVine can also get sped up at the end of games. His decision-making has been suspect.
The biggest knock on LaVine throughout his career has been his defense. He was one of the worst defenders in the league early in his career. He still does have the occasional lapses in concentration, but he has improved significantly to the point where he's no longer a big liability.
There's also some minor concern about LaVine undergoing a second surgery on his left knee. He originally tore his ACL in 2017, then played through discomfort for most of the second half of last season on the same knee. He opted to have arthroscopic surgery in the offseason, for which he's expected to have a full recovery.
How old is Zach LaVine?
Zach LaVine turns 28 in March and will be entering his ninth season. He averaged 24.4 PPG last season.
Zach LaVine possible teams and best fits
After being stuck on some of the worst teams in the league early in his career, LaVine has prioritized winning. That makes it tough to find a team that makes sense for him outside of the Bulls because all of the teams with cap space to sign him would give him a worse chance to win.
The Trail Blazers did make some sense as a dark horse destination early on. LaVine has roots in Seattle. But their recent acquisition of Jerami Grant has limited their spending capabilities, and it would have been extremely tough to create the cap space to get LaVine in the first place.
Another route would be a sign-and-trade to a contender without cap space. But that would require cooperation from the Bulls, who are unlikely to give it.
Zach LaVine news, rumors and latest updates
LaVine did make some waves with some curious comments at the end of the Bulls season.
“I plan to enjoy free agency. You’re going to have to experience A through Z without making any fast decisions.”
Those comments led to early speculation that LaVine could be available to other teams. As the start of free agency has drawn closer, those rumors have fizzled out.
Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer and Marc Stein via his Substack page have both reported that LaVine will likely be staying in Chicago. Negotiations still remain on the guarantees in the fifth year of his deal, but those are minor wrinkles that should be hammered out.
LaVine now seems like a lock to return to the Bulls, both because they offer him the best chance to win of any teams that could reasonably make a move for him and the most money.
