Zach LaVine Makes It Clear To Chicago Bulls They Must Pay Up In Free Agency

Chicago Bulls All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine is set to hit free agency for the first time in his career. While all signs have pointed toward LaVine returning to the Bulls, he refused to commit to them during his exit interview last week and sent warning shots to the franchise that made it clear he expects to get paid a max contract or else he might consider going elsewhere.

LaVine hammered home the point that he plans to take his time and will be “open-minded” with his decision. While he has “enjoyed” his time in Chicago, he also plans to “enjoy” free agency.

“You should view it as I’ve been here for the last five years,” LaVine said, per Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. “Obviously you guys have been a really, really soft spot in my heart and I have to do this as a business decision as a man. Not to just be viewed one way, and be like: ‘I’m automatically coming back,’ or ‘I’m automatically leaving,’ things like that. It’s unrestricted free agency, for my family and me I have to go into this like it’s a decision where I have to be open-eyed. And obviously I have to make my list and talk to everybody in the summertime.”

When asked about a max contract, LaVine again made his feelings rather plain.

“It’s important to me. But you get paid what you’re valued at. I see myself as a top guy in this league, and I think I’ve proven that over the last four years. And I think that’s what we’re going to negotiate. I think that’s what Marc (Eversley), [Artūras Karnišovas], that’s what they and Rich are going to have to discuss.”

These answers sounded alarm bells among some Bulls fans, but LaVine is simply doing the right thing as negotiations get underway, and it shouldn’t be a surprise given he’s a client of Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul. LaVine outplayed his prior four-year, $78 million contract in a big way and is going to make sure he cashes in this summer. He has been consistent about getting paid what he deserves for a long time now. If Chicago isn’t willing to pay up, somebody else will.

The Bulls have some major advantages in this situation. They can offer an extra year with higher annual raises compared to any other suitors, with a full max deal sitting at five years and $212 million. The supermax isn’t going to happen because LaVine’s injury in the latter part of the season will keep him from All-NBA, but that $212 million is still a hefty number. Other teams can offer LaVine four years and $160 million.

The teams currently with a lot of cap space aren’t all that attractive as destinations, which is another plus for a big-market team in Chicago. Players often get around this by working out sign-and-trades (think Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan last offseason), but at least in that case the Bulls would get something back if things got to that point.

But the hope is it never gets to that point, and Chicago can help that cause by not haggling with a contract offer. Maybe there are negotiations in terms of years, options or even injury protections because of his knee issue, but the bottom line is the Bulls should be willing to offer that $212 million max as long as that knee isn’t a legitimate long-term problem.

LaVine has earned it after becoming one of the best scorers in the NBA:

The 27-year-old was playing at an All-NBA level before the knee injury, and the Bulls were finally playing winning basketball with better players around him. It wouldn’t make sense to sink so much draft capital into building this roster and then cheap out when it comes to paying a two-time All-Star in his prime, especially as the cap continues to rise. Chicago can always pivot with a trade down the road if things don’t go well, whether it’s for an upgrade or for another rebuild.

Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas was predictably coy when addressing LaVine’s free agency, saying he hopes the guard is “here for a long time” and then saying “we’ll see what happens.”

Perhaps LaVine is actually serious about wanting to go elsewhere this summer. Nothing is ever guaranteed in the NBA, and it would be a huge bummer if that winds up being the case. But as long as the Bulls do everything they can to bring him back, the expectation is still that he will indeed return.