Bulls having doubts about bringing Zach LaVine back?
Feb 9, 2020; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) warms up before action against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine may be LaGone if you believe a new report from this week.
David Kaplan of ESPN 1000 in Chicago reported on Wednesday that some in the Bulls organization would like to give LaVine a max contract but that others have doubts. The skeptics in the organization are concerned about LaVine’s alleged lack of a “‘dog’ mentality it takes to win big,” Kaplan adds.
LaVine is an unrestricted free agent this summer, but the Bulls can offer him the most money on his next deal. While a “dog mentality” is an inherently arbitrary measure of value, LaVine’s numbers speak for themselves. The 27-year-old has improved his scoring averages every single season (except for this year where he took a backseat to the newly-acquired DeMar DeRozan) and is an easy threat to go off for 30 points with a handful of assists on any given night. LaVine, a multi-time All-Star, also has quite the selection of clutch game-winners already under his belt.
Most of the chatter surrounding LaVine lately has been centered on his own supposed desire to leave, perhaps for this top free agent destination. But if the Bulls themselves are waffling on bringing LaVine back, that could seal his fate as having played his last game for Chicago.
