Bulls news: Zach LaVine gets real on long-term future in Chicago

Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine opened up on his contract situation and said he wants to stay with the franchise for the long haul.

Chicago Bulls All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, but there are complications that make it likely he won't sign one this offseason and will be ticketed for unrestricted free agency in 2022. This may make some Bulls fans uneasy about his future, but LaVine understands the situation and is saying all the right things when it comes to him sticking around in Chicago for the long haul.

Via NBC Sports Chicago's Rob Schaefer:

With me, I try to let my agent handle everything. But as long as it gets done, I'll be happy. I mean, obviously, I want to be with the Bulls and you don't want to implicate, you know, free agency, and I understand, like the cap room that goes into it with a sizable extension with me. So, I want the team to be good, but then I also want to be taken care of as well. I feel like I've done really well by the Bulls, and obviously I want to be here long-term, and I feel like I deserve what I get. So, it is what it is. We'll figure (it) out when that comes. If it's this year, next year, we'll just see what happens.

LaVine just finished up the third year of a four-year, $78 million deal that he has clearly outplayed. The shooting guard has improved every season with the Bulls and is now a max-level player thanks to his elite scoring ability. While Chicago still hasn't won anything with him, he has shown that he's a guy worth paying.

Those complications mentioned earlier, though? The standard extension the Bulls can offer LaVine is four years and about $105 million, which is way below market value. Chicago could use cap space to renegotiate and extend his contract in order to give him more money, but the team is looking to improve the roster this offseason and this strategy would hurt the ability to do that.

The Bulls could just let LaVine hit free agency in 2022 and then offer him a five-year max deal worth upward of $200 million. He could also become eligible for a supermax if he makes All-NBA in 2021-22. There are risks in waiting, but it does seem like the guard is committed to the franchise moving forward.