“They came to me with everything that I wanted, there was no other reason for me to go outside” - 2x All-Star says it would’ve been disrespectful to talk to teams other than the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls superstar Zach LaVine re-signing with the franchise is the biggest news coming from the 6-time NBA champions. For a minute, it seemed like LaVine might entertain offers from other teams and could potentially be on the way out of Chicago.
Zach LaVine shared his two cents on how he approached free agency with Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. He spoke about how he did not even consider entertaining offers from other teams after meeting with the front office of the Bulls.
LaVine spoke about how he got the right indication from the front office to put pen to paper on a max contract.
"I went into the offseason with an open mind. Once I was able to meet with (Bulls GM) Marc [Eversley] and (VP of basketball operations) AK (Arturas Karnisovas) and they came to me with everything that I wanted.
"There was no other reason for me to go outside and look at any other teams. I think that would have been, for me, disrespectful on my end because they gave me everything that I asked for" LaVine said.
Zach LaVine also gave a quick update on his knee injury. The Bulls' scoring machine has effectively been playing on one knee since the All-Star break. LaVine spoke about how the surgery went well and how good he feels about the recuperation.
"Just had a run-of-the-mill knee scope. I feel way better. I’ve been rehabbing, working out, playing, lifting, doing all the good stuff... and boring stuff, too," LaVine concluded.
Zach LaVine: Would Have Been Disrespectful To Meet With Other Teams basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/267907…
Significance of LaVine re-signing with the Chicago Bulls
Zach LaVine has established himself as one of the best scorers in the game due to his ability to score at all three levels. He is also a two-time Slam Dunk Contest winner, which reflects on his ability to elevate and attack the rim.
LaVine finished the regular season averaging over 24.4 points per game. He shot 85.3% from the line, 38.9% from the perimeter and over 47.6% from the field.
These are elite numbers that have warranted him back-to-back All-Star selections. Given his performances, this has allowed him to pick his destination should he choose to the leave the Chicago Bulls.
The Atlanta Hawks and the Portland Trail Blazers are two teams that were linked with LaVine. The shooting guard has seen a reduced role with the Bulls in terms of scoring since the signing of DeMar DeRozan.
He could have gone back to the status of being the number one scorer on the team with the Hawks. However, LaVine would have missed out on nearly $60 million if he chose to depart from the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls also made the postseason this year and are expected to make an even stronger case next season with Lonzo Ball healthy.
Now that he's staying with the franchise, the Chicago Bulls need to make minor changes to the roster. They could have a proper go in the postseason next season with Zach LaVine leading the way.