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Zach LaVine is a restricted free agent this summer and there was a discussion before his ACL injury that LaVine might be worth a max contract.
Chicago Tribune thinks Bulls want to sign Zach LaVine at $14-16M per year https://t.co/HNhffc3HiE
— SportsEthos Fantasy Basketball (@ethosfantasyNBA) June 28, 2018
The Chicago Bulls have decided he isn't worth that much, and according to KC Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, the Bulls will only match a contract in the $14-16 million per year range.
Article Continues Below“This ‘guess' as he put it comes amidst efforts by the Bulls to tamp down their public interest in LaVine, which is partial posturing and probably partially true after an uneventful return from injury. They also saw Kris Dunn take a step forward, but the impact of the knee injury on his long-term outlook and LaVine's ability to make other players better are bigger reasons they might not match a big offer sheet.”
The max contract that LaVine can be offered is five-years, $146 million, or an average value of over $29 million per year. LaVine is a great offensive talent, but on defense, he is a liability and since coming into the league he really hasn't shown much improvement. After coming back from the ACL injury last year at times he looked like he had lost a step, but he still had a good year on the offensive end.
In 24 games he averaged 16.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. He shot 38.3 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from deep.
The Bulls really have a tough decision on their hand especially if they let him walk. He still seems to have the abilities to be a superstar, but locking up a ton of money in him is still a risk.
