On the @YahooSportsNBA podcast, @ShamsCharania reported that the Chicago Bulls are expected to keep Zach LaVine.
Shams: “The sentiment I've gotten from the Bulls is that they'll match a max offer sheet.”
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) June 7, 2018
Well, that’s a relief.
Zach Lavine is one of the pieces involved in the Jimmy Butler trade from the 2017 NBA draft, and to let him go after 24 games would be a tragedy.
Zach tore his ACL in the 2016-2017 NBA season while playing for Minnesota. Lavine made his return to the court last year for the Bulls starting and playing in 24 games. When he did return he was on a minute restriction and didn’t have the time to get his rhythm down.
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|
| 2017-18 | 22 | CHI | NBA | SG | 24 | 24 | 27.3 | 5.7 | 14.8 | .383 | 1.8 | 5.1 | .341 | 3.9 | 9.7 | .405 | .442 | 3.6 | 4.5 | .813 | 0.4 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 16.7 |
|---|
Though the numbers from last year aren’t glamorous, Lavine showed some flashes on why he could be a key part of the future for the Bulls. Lavine also in his 3rd NBA season, before the ACL injury, showed fans just what he could do.
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|
| 2016-17 | 21 | MIN | NBA | SG | 47 | 47 | 37.2 | 6.9 | 15.1 | .459 | 2.6 | 6.6 | .387 | 4.4 | 8.5 | .515 | .544 | 2.5 | 3.0 | .836 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 18.9 |
|---|
As a third option on a Minnesota Timberwolves squad featuring Karl Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, Lavine made his own mark. He scored 189.PPG and hit the three ball with incredible consistency shooting over .45%. Tragically his season was cut short after just 47 games.
With the explosiveness Lavine possesses he fits right into “Hoiball”. Speed, pace and being able to hit the three can potentially make him the star the Chicago Bulls desperately need. Obviously, Zach does need to work on things like shot selection and knowing when to get his teammates involved, but he’s only 22 years old, he will learn.
Zach is the makeup of the Bulls young core, he could potentially recruit free agents and make players consider coming to the Windy City. During a handful of games last year when Dunn, Lavine, and Markkanen had it going on, they were one of the most exciting teams to watch in all of the NBA. Plus as we’ve seen before, Zach isn’t afraid to stir the pot about trying to get players to consider the Bulls.
@DevinBook @KarlTowns 😏👍🏽 pic.twitter.com/04R1QM3LzW
— Zach LaVine (@ZachLaVine) May 19, 2018
Though it’s just a report and nothing has been confirmed yet, the Bulls do seem to want to retain Zach. Which is the right call, because Zach can bring a lot more to this franchise than just putting the ball in the hoop.
