Shortly after the Sacramento Kings decision to extend a four-year, $78 million offer sheet to restricted free agent guard Zach LaVine, the Chicago Bulls have chosen to match that offer to keep him in the mix for the next several years.

In response to that move, John Paxson, who is the executive vice president of basketball operations, released a statement voicing the strong level of excitement that the franchise has with LaVine being the centerpiece for the long haul, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.

There had been some doubt that the Bulls would be interested in bringing back LaVine on a lofty new deal given that he's not much removed from suffering a torn ACL. He was able to make his return to the court this past season less than a year after the injury and was able to play in 24 games in his first campaign with the team.

In that limited action, he averaged 16.7 points with 3.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. This included scoring in double figures 19 times with 11 contests with at least 20-points while reaching more than 10 points in 10 straight games. There were some struggles with efficiency shooting the ball but was expected given the type of injury he was returning from. Although it was a commitment that the Bulls didn't come out outright to bring back LaVine before an offer was made, it does show that they are willing to take a chance on building the team around him as one of the centerpieces of their future.

The 23-year-old has shown the ability to be a reliable scorer that could lead the charge by becoming the go-to offensive weapon that may form a strong pairing alongside second-year forward Lauri Markkanen. The focus for the front office can now shift toward building a team that can be a factor in the Eastern Conference for years to come.