The NBA Draft League is where young players chase their dreams.
It’s also the premier destination for league gossip, the NBA Summer League, with executives, coaches and agents from all 30 teams congregating in one location.
A big topic this week is Zach LaVine future.Opinions – some educated, some guesswork – differ on what chicago bulls‘ The two-time All-Star guard will complete when he enters unrestricted free agency on July 1.
But one thing’s for sure: His return to the Bulls is no longer considered the slam dunk he once was.
Does it originate from LaVine’s own exit interview with a local reporter In late April or truly believe he will leave the team that still gives him the highest salary is unknown. To be sure, this week’s league gossip has linked LaVine to at least four teams — the Lakers, Trail Blazers, Mavericks, Hawks — and almost certainly more to follow.
LaVine, who is expected to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery early next week, made it clear during his final media conference that he would take his time to make a decision. The Bulls fully expect LaVine to visit, dine, and explore the unrestricted free agency he has acquired.
Bulls president/COO Michael Reinsdorf and executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas have both publicly stated that they want LaVine to stay in Chicago long-term.reinsdorf tell NBC Sports Chicago The team is willing to enter luxury tax territory for the second time in its history to retain that core and compete for a championship.
Lavin has been clear The importance of accepting a max contract to him. Karnisovas said in late April that he did not think LaVine’s upcoming surgery, which was uncertain at the time, was not certain, and would not affect the negotiations.
It is widely believed that the program is just a cleanup scope. LaVine has told confidants that his knees sometimes feel like “loose cartilage.” An MRI in January showed no structural damage.
Still, rival executives are speculating about whether the Bulls will extend LaVine’s maximum contract to five years and about $212 million. The public positions of Reinsdorf and KarniĊĦovas suggest otherwise.
So did the fact that the Bulls refused to renegotiate and extend their contracts last offseason, instead, with LaVine’s input, the Bulls aggressively increased as an over-cap team. DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball Acquire by sign and deal, then sign Alex Caruso Intermediate exceptions.
LaVine acknowledged the moves were “huge” during a media conference with reporters in late April.
“It just goes to show that they (the Bulls front office) are ready to win. Obviously, it’s hard for me to feel that way the first few years I’ve been here. This year has been incredible,” he said. “You have to think about everything. Obviously the team we have here is something you have to think about, how well we did last year and keep going.”
The Bulls knew that losing LaVine for nothing would be a major blow from a basketball and business standpoint. According to several season-ticket holders, the latter isn’t trivial for a franchise that has raised ticket prices for the first time in recent years.
Even though a fifth-year salary of $48.3 million may seem untenable to some on paper, it must be viewed in the context of a rising salary cap. If recent NBA history proves anything, it’s that most contracts are tradeable at some point.
As for the teams currently tied to LaVine through league gossip and speculation, only the Blazers have the ability to clear the top salary cap spot. Even so, some cost- and asset-cutting moves are needed. A team like the Lakers needs a sign-and-trade, it’s gonna be complicated.
That’s why, all in all, LaVine’s return to the Bulls remains the safest option — assuming that’s what unrestricted free agency wants.
Click here to follow the Bull Talk Podcast.
download
Download MyTeams now!
