Getty Images Zach LaVine
The rumors around Zach LaVine’s plans for next season have been swirling ever since the Bulls were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. LaVine said after the game five loss to the Bucks that he plans to enjoy the free agency but is open to re-signing with the Bulls.
Since those comments from LaVine, he’s been connected to the Spurs, Lakers, Blazers, and Sixers as the rumors continue to pile up. The Lakers, Blazers, and Sixers’ suggestions were all suggestions, while the Spurs connections came from Spurs guard Dejounte Murray tweeting and deleting a picture of LaVine in a Spurs jersey.
Giving Back to Chicago
While those rumors have continued to stack up, LaVine has now done two things this offseason that have ties to Chicago. His latest action came on Friday when he gave back to a group of students at Whitney Young High School in Chicago.
Showtime! 🎥
@ZachLaVine set up a private movie for the deaf & hard of hearing students at @WYHS to watch Dr. Strange 2, complete with food, popcorn, and candy!
The movie screening finished a season-long series of events with these students ❤️
As expected when Bulls fans saw this they flooded the comments with admiration for LaVine. This has also made some fans believe that LaVine will be re-signing with the team.
It’s the second time this week that LaVine has done something with ties to Chicago. Earlier this week he signed a partnership with Midwest Express Clinic.
“I’ve seen the demand for quality healthcare in Chicago,” LaVine said, “Becoming a brand advocated means I get to support the everyday heroes, the healthcare workers fighting to keep us well and living our best lives.”
These moves don’t make it a certainty that LaVine will be re-signing with the Bulls, but they certainly have been encouraging for Bulls fans. Regardless of what LaVine decides in free agency, it’s awesome to see LaVine continue to give back to Chicago.
Nervous Time for the Bulls
The Bulls still have a little over six weeks until free agency gets underway and this will be a nervous period for the Bulls’ front office as they await LaVine’s free agency decision. If he does re-sign then the Bulls are likely to opt for continuity with the team’s core.
The Bulls’ front office has cited their busy offseason last year and how well they played when they were healthy this season as the reasons they want continuity. In the event that LaVine re-signs, they would likely just make some under-the-radar type moves to address weaknesses like rim protection and three-point shooting.
However, if LaVine were to leave in free agency the Bulls would need to find a way to soften the loss. How they would go about doing that or even if they could do that remains unclear
The Bulls are coming off their first playoff birth in five years and are carrying that momentum into the
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offseason. The front office deserves a ton of credit for their offseason last year where they added DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso.
While the last offseason was important for the Bulls, it’s fair to say this offseason could be more important. If the team wants to take another step towards being a championship contender, they’ll need to push all the right buttons.