Many expected the first Chicago Bull to see a change of scenery this summer to be named Zach LaVine. Not only is LaVine still with the organization, but fellow veterans Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan are now wearing new threads. Caruso was shipped to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for 21-year-old Josh Giddey. DeRozan is now with the Sacramento Kings after a sign-and-trade was executed a few months ago. This leaves LaVine and Nikola Vucevic as the two oldest roster pieces, and both will be 30 by the end of the 2024-25 campaign. With the influx of young talent into the Windy City, will LaVine still be the center of attention, or does he now take a back seat to the development of Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Giddey, among others?
“Vowed Not To Stunt Growth”
Per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, LaVine has vocalized that he’s willing to adjust his role so that the youthful pieces in the organization can flourish. If this is true, it will be a significant change of pace for the two-time All-Star guard, as he’s led the team in shot attempts and usage during his entire seven-year stint in Chicago. Fresh off a year that was his worst statistically with the Bulls since his arrival, LaVine only appeared in 25 games due to injury and was threatened with trade rumors the entire season into the summer.
Many Chicago fans agree it is hard to imagine LaVine stepping down and letting the younger pieces take their lumps. LaVine has been through two attempted rebuilds, and it’s unlikely he wants to stick around for a third time, especially since this would be the first one in which he’s not a premiere focus in the rebuilding core.
Zach LaVine All-Star Season
Every Bulls fan will need to see it to believe it, but LaVine is primed for one of his best seasons yet. The last time he returned from playing 25 or fewer games in the previous season, the former UCLA Bruin saw an improvement in every statistical category, including improving his points per game by seven, his field goal percentage by eight percent, and his three-point percentage by three percent. His best seasons as a Bull have come while running alongside a true point guard, something he now has in Giddey. It’ll be something to watch with White’s emergence, Giddey already a cemented starter, and LaVine presumably starting as well to see how Donovan deploys his flurry of guards. It’s time to buy into the offseason hype video from Chicago’s most recent All-Star.
Can LaVine take a back seat and still lead this group of young talent? His three-point capabilities and downhill scoring prowess will remain one of Chicago’s most valuable offensive weapons. Giddey’s ability to embody a court general, paired with White’s playmaking and three-point shooting, will provide the Bulls with an offensive attack most like the 2020-21 roster that held the top seed in the Eastern Conference at the All-Star break.
