NBA Rumors: Klutch Sports blamed for manufactured drama between Chicago Bulls and 2 time All-Star
Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine’s name has surfaced across various NBA rumors in the wake of his contract coming to an end. LaVine signed a four-year $78 million deal in 2018 and will be an unrestricted free agent.
He has already been linked with multiple organizations, including the San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks and Portland Trail Blazers as possible destinations.
LaVine is represented by Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul. He also represents some high-profile players in the NBA, including LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Draymond Green and Lonzo Ball, to name a few.
Rich Paul has been in the media light multiple times for his unorthodox methods and some NBA executives believe this is one such stunt.
NBA Execs Blame Klutch Sports For Manufactured Drama Between Zach LaVine, Bulls - Hoops Wire hoopswire.com/nba-execs-blam…
NBA writer Sean Deveney believes that Klutch Sports is doing this to raise the hype around him, as Deveney’s source said:
“A lot of this is coming from the agents, where they want to not only get him paid but raise his profile at the same time. That is their M.O. The more drama in the process, the better. No one was talking about Zach. Now everyone is. Mission accomplished.”
Zach LaVine raised the bar during the regular season for the Chicago Bulls. He averaged 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists after teaming up with a star in DeMar DeRozan.
However, LaVine had to deal with some injury issues throughout the season. He even missed the team’s last playoff game this year against the Milwaukee Bucks.
DeMarvelous.
Congrats @DeMar_DeRozan on being named to the All-NBA Second Team! https://t.co/B6rvQOvawt
It is unlikely that the Chicago Bulls will give up on their one-two punch between LaVine and DeRozan so quickly. However, it is his agent’s job to help him get the best deal possible. Deveney went on to quote his source:
“It is still Zach’s team. Klutch just wants to make sure everyone knows it.”
The Chicago Bulls failed to impress in the post-season, as injuries plagued their season. They played without some important players, while some were in and out of the lineup. This gave them a host of problems to face as they ultimately failed to progress against the defending champions.
The Chicago Bulls’ postseason and regular season were poles apart
The Chicago Bulls came to life this season after signing free agent DeMar DeRozan from the San Antonio Spurs. Their roster strength grew substantially.
The addition of Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso offered them more depth and different angles to their game, giving LaVine a better support cast. The results of their moves were visible during the regular season, as they were among the top few in the Eastern Conference for the first few months.
However, Alex Caruso missed a considerable amount of time and Lonzo Ball’s injury led them to switch up a lot of things. They ultimately finished sixth in the East.
Injury Update: Zach LaVine underwent successful left knee arthroscopic surgery on today at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles.
LaVine is expected to make a full recovery.
The Chicago Bulls drew Milwaukee in the first-round and had no answer for Giannis Antetokounmpo’s offensive outburst. Antetokounmpo averaged 28.6 points and 13.4 rebounds in the series, completing a gentleman's sweep against the Bulls.
The Bulls managed to win just one game in the series. Following that win, they lost the remaining games by a high margin, not living up to their expectations. If anything, their post-season disappointment has probably given them more reason to run it back and compete with a healthy squad.