The Chicago Bulls and NBA All-Star Zach LaVine will soon face the time when it’s needed to get a contract extension done. He has taken the next step as a player and will command a hefty salary on his next deal. However, could he be willing to take less?
According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, LaVine previously felt as though it was important to be given max money on his next contract extension. Now, he could take a ‘slight discount’ if the Bulls were to add some key role players to its supporting cast.
“The Sun-Times, as well as several other media outlets, reported at the start of the 2020-21 campaign that it was important for LaVine to be given max money moving forward. However, there are several sources who said that might not be the case any longer, as adding key role players around him could persuade LaVine to give the Bulls a slight discount.”
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The greater question at hand when analyzing a potential contract extension for Zach LaVine is more or less about when exactly he will decide to agree to one. It would be malpractice on the part of his representation to agree to any deal this offseason as he would only be eligible to receive a four-year, $104.8 million contract due to the current CBA limitations.
The timing of the Bulls’ decision to trade for Nikola Vucevic at the NBA trade deadline clearly signals they will be ‘all-in’ on trying to win-now with LaVine. There are just some questions as to how they will manage to get the job done during the upcoming offseason.
The results LaVine has achieved this season for the Bulls has been nothing short of impressive. He earned an NBA All-Star appearance by posting averages of 27.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.9 assists.
Next season, the Chicago Bulls and Zach LaVine will both have aspirations to make the NBA playoffs. The team will need to get creative to re-tool around him and Nikola Vucevic in order to get the job done. It will be fascinating to see how they intend to do that.
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