For years, Zach LaVine toiled away on a Chicago Bulls team that wasn't quite sure where it was going. The Bulls then made the playoffs during the 2021-22 season, which was an encouraging sign, but they proceeded to miss the playoffs for the next few years, necessitating some major changes to the roster. Last season, the Bulls decided to take another step towards a full-blown commitment to the youth movement when they traded Zach LaVine away to the Sacramento Kings.

On Wednesday night, LaVine returned to United Center for the first time since being traded by the Bulls in February. He spent seven and a half seasons in Chicago, and even though the team wasn't very successful during that time, he was still their best player during that stretch and at least gave the Bulls some semblance of respectability.

In turn, the Bulls paid tribute to LaVine in the form of a video package highlighting some of his biggest moments with the team during his lengthy stay in the Windy City.

This is not the first time that LaVine has faced the Bulls as a member of the Kings. He did come up against them back on the 20th of March, a game that the Kings lost rather convincingly, 128-116. LaVine struggled mightily during that contest, scoring just eight points on 2-9 shooting as he took a backseat during that night to Malik Monk and another former Bull in DeMar DeRozan.

LaVine played in 416 games for the Bulls, starting in 413 of them. He averaged 24.2 points per game during his seven and a half-year stint with the team, doing so on 47/39/83 shooting splits. He made the All-Star team twice with Chicago.

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The Bulls acquired Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins, and their 2025 first-round pick (which was top-10 protected in the first place) in the LaVine trade. All three of those players are still on the roster.

Bulls better off than Kings after trading Zach LaVine away

Oct 25, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) dribbles up the court in the second half against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images
Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images

There should be no doubts regarding the productivity of LaVine as a scorer. Through the first four games of the season, he's averaging 29 points per for the Kings. But the Bulls got three solid role players in return for LaVine and his exorbitant contract, and they handed over the reins to Coby White and Josh Giddey in the process. There's a reason why Chicago ended the 2025-26 campaign on such a high note.

Meanwhile, the Kings have a roster that doesn't make any sense. It is a shame that LaVine could not land on a situation with stability, as he'd be such a dangerous weapon on the right team.