Getty Zach LaVine handles the ball at half-court during a March 16 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Despite their best efforts, the Chicago Bulls started their offseason early, falling short of a postseason appearance for the fourth consecutive season.
It’s one that is met by fans, the front office, and the players alike with heavy anticipation and high expectation.
Chicago finished the abbreviated 2020-2021 campaign 31-41, and as the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Bulls’ midseason trade for two-time All-Star Nikola Vucevic wasn’t enough to put them over the hump. Of course, Zach LaVine missing extended time for COVID-19 related reasons didn’t help either.
So the Chicago Bulls walk into this offseason with a hefty to-do list, starting with the aforementioned All-Star guard, who they’re expected to engage in extension talks as soon as they’re able.
But there’s speculation as to whether or not LaVine will entertain offers, after another disappointing season in the Windy City, yielding the seventh-straight postseason-less campaign of his career.
His latest life choice seems to reiterate those intentions, as the 26-year old sold his Lakeview mansion last week.
LaVine Preparing For the Worst?
According to the Chicago Tribune, Zach LaVine sold his five-bedroom, 8,000-square-foot mansion in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago last Friday for north of $3-million.
The Chicago Bulls’ guard purchased the house for $3.25 million back in 2018, which coincidentally, is the same year he signed his current deal for four years and $80-million.
So as he prepares for whatever and wherever his next deal lies, LaVine is house hunting once again, assumedly.
Fans shouldn’t take this decision as a direct signal that he’s ready to make way elsewhere. Stars selling their houses are rarely indicative of a free agency move or trade to a new team.
And as the Chicago Tribune notes, LaVine originally posted the house for sale back in 2019. He’s since continued dropping the price until last week when he was able to officially strike a deal.
Now the question becomes whether or not he and the Chicago Bulls will strike a deal before next season.
A LaVine Extension is Unlikely
As previously mentioned, there are doubts both inside and outside of the Windy City that Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls will agree to terms on an extension this offseason.
Bleacher Report’s A. Sherrod Blakely reported back in April that the general expectation is that the first-time All-Star will hold off until next offseason when he’ll be an unrestricted free agent:
That’s why rival executives anticipate the Bulls will try to lock up LaVine with a contract extension (he will make $19.5 million this season and next) but know he’ll likely let his deal lapse, become an unrestricted free agent and sign what will be a more lucrative multiyear max pact.
As it stands today, the most the Chicago Bulls can offer Zach LaVine in an extension this offseason would be a four-year deal somewhere north of $104-105 million.
That’s based on 120 percent of his salary for the 2021-2022 season, with eight percent increases annually.
But as an unrestricted free agent, Chicago could offer LaVine a deal worth 30 percent of the salary cap.
It’s a gamble to hold off until the next offseason, particularly given his injury history. As most fans remember, LaVine tore his ACL just 24 games into his tenure with the Bulls back in 2017.
But to his credit, that’s four years ago, and he looked as healthy as ever on the floor this year.
LaVine averaged a career-high 27.4 points per game, five rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game this season. His play was enough for the team to hedge their future on getting him help, and fans can expect that trend to continue.
Zach LaVine clearly believes in himself, and no one’s doubting the Chicago Bulls do too.
Whether that’ll be enough to keep them together in the years to come is unclear.
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