The Chicago Bulls had an opportunity to sign Zach LaVine to an extension this offseason, but there was a catch. Giving LaVine a max extension would have hindered the Bulls' ability to make necessary changes to the roster because it would have required using cap space. So, instead, Chicago opted to go big in free agency by acquiring Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan.
LaVine has never made the playoffs in his career, so he understands the nature of the game and appreciates the front office being aggressive to get him more help. The Bulls star talked to Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill about his contract situation:
LaVine is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2022, so the Bulls wanted to drastically improve the roster in order to convince him to stay. While signing him to an extension this offseason would have locked him in for the long haul, there's little reason to think he leaves if Chicago leaps into playoff contention. After all, the Bulls can offer him more money than any other team, and he would also become eligible for a supermax extension if he makes All-NBA.
There will be plenty of competition for the playoffs and All-NBA, but LaVine is determined to reach these goals. The Bulls shooting guard finally made his first All-Star Game last season and wound up finishing with a career-high 27.4 points per game on 50.7% from the field and 41.9% from beyond the arc. If LaVine continues to play at that level with the increased talent around him (don't forget about Nikola Vucevic), Chicago will be a force to be reckoned with.
If all goes well, LaVine will wind up signing a max contract with the Bulls next summer.