Bulls, Zach LaVine agree to $215.2 million, five-year contract

Zach LaVine was never going to another team.

The two-time All-Star made that very clear both publicly and behind the scenes, as did the Bulls’ front office time and time again throughout the 2021-22 season.

That’s why it took less than 24 hours for the two sides to reach a verbal agreement on a max contract that will pay LaVine $215.2 million over the next five years.

According to a source, the Bulls and LaVine did have a formal meeting on Thursday — the first day teams could negotiate with free agents — and the guard also met with several other suitors. But it was the Bulls the entire time in his mind, and what he told his core teammates.

One source said that LaVine was so adamant about re-signing with the Bulls going into the offseason that he at first didn’t even want to go through the formality of taking a meeting with them, choosing to just hear what other organizations were offering.

Klutch Sports, however, wanted the guard to get the full free-agent experience before making his intentions known on Friday.