Bulls’ Zach LaVine, Coby White Looking To Make Splash On Playoff Stage Ahead Of Contract Negotiations

It took eight seasons, but Zach LaVine is finally in the playoffs. LaVine languished on rebuilding teams his entire career before the arrival of DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso helped spark a turnaround to earn the Chicago Bulls a playoff berth in 2021-22.

The way LaVine and the Bulls went into the playoffs isn’t ideal, with the All-Star guard battling through a nagging knee injury during a post-All-Star break collapse. Chicago hit 39-21 in the first game after the break, only to fall to 46-36 and the No. 6 seed, setting up a first-round matchup against the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks.

Still, even though the Bulls are a huge underdog, they are in the playoffs. That’s a big deal for LaVine, who’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and is looking for a massive raise. The 27-year-old is ready for the moment:

Because of all the losing in his career, many have questioned LaVine’s ability to be a winning player. We’ve seen this happen to plenty of other stars who put up big numbers on bad teams, only for them to prove they can make an impact on the playoff stage. Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker is one recent example of this, a fact Bulls veteran Tristan Thompson has made sure to point out:

Now, living up to the standard Booker and the Suns set last season is not at all realistic. The Bulls’ playoff stay is likely to be short because of their recent struggles and the opponent in front of them. But LaVine can still help make the series more competitive than expected and solidify his status as a max player heading into contract negotiations in the summer.

As The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry writes, “multiple league executives view a max contract for LaVine as a foregone conclusion,” and the Bulls should be prepared to offer him a five-year deal worth around $210 million. If there are any concerns about making that kind of offer, though, a strong playoff series as he battles through injury would help alleviate them.

The fact that LaVine isn’t healthy for this first playoff experience is a huge bummer. He clearly was not himself throughout the second half of the season after he suffered the injury in mid-January. The hope is with a week off and no back-to-backs he will be a bit more like himself. The Bulls badly need it.

Chicago also needs Coby White to bring it in his first playoff appearance, which will come right before he becomes eligible for a contract extension this summer. The No. 7 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft has been a roller coaster in his career, showing tantalizing scoring potential at times while looking unplayable at others. That will happen with young players, but White needs to find a modicum of consistency with his game in order to be a positive player in his career.

The 22-year-old did shoot a career-high 43.3% overall and 38.5% from 3-point range in 61 games in 2021-22. However, he still goes through too many cold spells and doesn’t consistently bring enough else to the table to make an impact when he’s not shooting well, which happened too often at the end of the regular season.

The Bulls can’t afford a White cold spell if they’re going to have any chance against Milwaukee. Chicago’s 3-point shooting became a major problem as the season went on without Ball, ranking last in attempts and makes after the All-Star break and ranking 21st in percentage. White shot just 35.5% from deep after the break, and he also struggled against the Bucks this season by shooting just 5-of-26 from long range over four losses. The Bulls will need to catch fire from 3-point land to compete with Milwaukee and could really use some Coby White explosions off the bench, with LaVine chipping in his share of 3-pointers as well.

These playoffs just might be White’s last chance to prove to the Bulls he’s worth keeping around for the long haul. A good playoff performance could result in a long-term contract extension or at least solidify his place on the roster in 2022-23. It would also help his trade value, and Chicago could look to use him to upgrade the roster and perhaps he gets an extension with a new team.

A playoff no-show would hurt that trade value but would still likely mean the end of White’s time in Chicago. This would set up a crucial fourth season for him in the NBA, wherever he wound up. There’s a lot at stake for the young guard.

It’s going to take a team effort for the Bulls against the Bucks, but LaVine and White are especially important because of their shooting ability on a team that lacks shooters. Strong playoff performances would help Chicago and their own futures.