One of the best players that will be hitting the free agency market this summer in the NBA is Zach LaVine. The two-time All-Star is looking to cash in on a max contract this offseason as an unrestricted free agent.
At one point, it sounded as if it was a lock for LaVine to return to the Chicago Bulls, where he has spent the last five seasons. The team made some moves to upgrade the roster around him and it resulted in a playoff appearance.
However, some reports were floating around that LaVine was interested in testing the market. His usage or lack thereof, down the stretch of the season, was cited as one reason. With DeMar DeRozan taking over late in games, LaVine was relegated to a complementary role, more often than not standing in the corner watching DeRozan go to work.
One of the teams that people were keeping an eye on as a potential landing spot for him is the San Antonio Spurs. They have the means to create a max salary spot to sign LaVine with and can offer him an unquestioned go-to No. 1 role that he was seeking.
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However, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the San Antonio Spurs may not be close enough to contention to be on LaVine’s radar. In addition, many expect him to return to the Chicago Bulls despite some posturing the last few weeks.
“But among the teams in play for LaVine, only San Antonio could offer a clear No. 1 playmaking opportunity, and the Spurs are considered far off from the postseason environment LaVine prefers, leading to skepticism among rival executives that LaVine ever wanted to entertain options outside of Chicago.”
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That will certainly make Bulls fans smile, as it was seeming more and more likely that LaVine could actually leave the Windy City this summer. The San Antonio Spurs were a logical landing spot, as they could very well be a bonafide go-to scorer away from competing for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
However, that doesn’t sound like it will be enough to entice LaVine to leave the Bulls. Another team that was linked to LaVine, the Portland Trail Blazers, isn’t very close to contending for a championship either.
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Virtually all of the teams with projected cap space this summer would be considered closer to rebuilding than contending. That very well could be what ultimately steers LaVine back to Chicago, as they were one of the best teams in the NBA before injuries began crippling the roster.
