The Chicago Bulls made a huge splash during Thursday's trade deadline when they made a massive move for the former Orlando Magic star Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic, a two-time All-Star, was a clear win-now trade for the Bulls to make. He will pair exceptionally well with the other All-Star on the team Zach LaVine. Lavine was without a doubt very excited about the move.

In an interview with KC Johnson of NBC Sports Lavine said:  “I gave out a little bit of a yell [when it was announced].”

LaVine is having the best year of his career this year. His strong play is helping the Bulls to a 19-24 record, which is good for 10th in the East. The NBA is introducing a play-in tournament this year for the 7th through 10th seeds to compete in, and the Bulls are actively hoping to make it in. Adding Vucevic in a trade is a clear indication of this desire.

Some thought LaVine's future with the Bulls was uncertain as of last year. He was visibly upset by how the team was being run under Jim Boylen. However, under new head coach Billy Donovan, the front office is making a clear commitment to winning. This means that LaVine looks to be in the long-term plans for this Bulls team.

In the same interview, LaVine spoke on his future in Chicago:

“I want to stay in Chicago. I haven’t had anything of wanting to leave. When that time comes, obviously I’ll try to do the best I can to stay here. Adding someone like this and being more attractive in the free-agent market to bring more players here is always a bonus for any player.”

Bulls Looking To Contend Now

Bulls GM Arturas Karnisovas has made it clear he wants the team to start acting like the big market it is. Making a major move like this is a strong indication that they are on the right track. Karnisovas is pushing to build around this duo of LaVine and Vucevic and hoping that can attract more talent down the line.

This trade slightly limits the Bulls' offseason flexibility by eating up some cap space, but it will hopefully work to make Chicago a perennial playoff team.