- Beyond the Buzzer
- Posts
- Zach LaVine does not fit in the Future?
Zach LaVine does not fit in the Future?
Zach LaVine does not fit in the Future?
The Chicago Bulls are taking their team in a whole new direction. Trading away Alex Caruso for the young Josh Giddey. as Oklahoma looks to be in the final picture. Letting DeMar DeRozan walk this past offseason. In exchange for some second-round picks and Chris Duarte. Andre Drummond is now signing with the Sixers, looking to be a backup for Joel Embiid once again. The front office has made it clear that they want to go young. Jalen Smith, who had a solid season with the Pacers, now looks towards a bigger role for the Bulls. Patrick Williams has gotten his extension. This leaves the question of where Zach LaVine fits in all this. A rebuild is on the horizon for Chicago.
Zach LaVine feels left in the dark in 2024. Rightfully so, as the Chicago Bulls wanted him to be their face after trading Jimmy Butler for him. Adding All-Star talent in Nikola Vucevic. Then going on to sign veteran players like DeMar DeRozan and Andre Drummond. Along with signing former NBA champion Alex Caruso. And young point guard Lonzo Ball. The Bulls were looking at this team that could come out of the East. But injuries took it all away, and Chicago failed to pivot. Which led to the Bulls being stuck in the play-in spot. With a new direction for the organization, it has led Zach LaVine and his camp to question where they stand.
Both parties should want to part ways as soon as possible. Zach LaVine wants a chance to compete for a title as he is at his peak. The Bulls should look to do a complete rebuild. Let young talent like Josh Giddey and Jalen Smith get their shine. Patrick Williams could finally make a jump as a player. May have the chance to become the most improved player now that DeMar is out of the picture. Ayo Dosunmu is another shooting guard who could look to get more chances to shine. Colby White was a candidate for the Most Improved Player award. With the selection of Matas Buzelis, he will look for minutes to develop his play. Now, that leaves Zach in a weird spot. He is not someone Chicago looks to build around. Instead, they would rather cut their losses. But the contract hurts both parties.
Zach LaVine has one of the worst contracts in the league. And with the CBA penalizing teams for giving players big contracts, it has hurt his trade stock. No team wants to give a player like Zach that kind of money. Even if he averages 20 points per game and can score from anywhere on the court. The fact is that he is getting first-option money. If the Bulls want to get rid of him, then they would have to give away assets. That would be awful for a team that is looking towards a rebuild. Instead, they better hope that Zach comes in healthy. So they can move him in the mid-season deadline. This contract has hurt the long-term trajectory of the organization.
Zach LaVine may be the biggest hurdle for the Bulls. But they have a solid foundation. With Colby White as the starting point guard and Lonzo Ball returning from injury in his prime. We can see if he's still an NBA-level player or washed. Nikola Vucevic is on an affordable contract and could improve his roster. Chicago has a lot of interesting young talent. With the trading for Giddey, who looks to live up to his lottery hype. Jalen Green hopes to start, and Patrick Williams got his contract. They expect him to improve his game. The Bulls have gotten younger. Cutting out their veteran players who kept them competitive. Now, they are looking to get on the Cooper Flagg sweepstake. Looking to establish a foundation that can bring them back on top late in the 2020s.
Follow @SyedNBABlogs on Twitter for NBA Content!