Chicago Bulls (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
This Chicago Bulls offseason is going to be an eventful one, to say the least.
It all begins and ends with the decision to be made by Zach LaVine during his first real shot at a lucrative deal on an unrestricted free agency tour.
There have been plenty of rumors and hunches made by various analysts, fans and media outlets. One such rumor said that the Dallas Mavericks appear to be a favorite landing spot for LaVine in a sign-and-trade. Others, meanwhile, have reported that LaVine could be interested in the West coast.
Still, Bulls fans are holding onto hope that LaVine decides to re-sign with the Bulls — and if ESPN’s Brian Windhorst is correct, then Bulls fans should feel more at ease after hearing his latest.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Zach LaVine will likely be re-signing with the Chicago Bulls when free agency begins.
In a recent podcast episode, Windhorst said that he doesn’t believe LaVine wants to leave Chicago.
“I don’t think Zach LaVine wants to leave. That’s not my read.”
You can listen to the full podcast below.
For a long time now, Windhorst has been one of the most connected guys around the NBA. So, his opinion matters. Unlike many of the talking heads on morning shows and hot take radio, Windhorst is a factual reporter. He is one to be trusted and does not make a living by reporting spicy opinion-based rhetoric.
Because Windhorst believes LaVine will stick around, most Bulls fans should feel more at peace going forward.
LaVine staying in Chicago is big, regardless of whether you believe he deserves the maximum money — and that’s a totally different discussion, but the Bulls simply have no choice but to offer him the max.
If LaVine is indeed staying with the Bulls, the team can shift its attention and focus towards other free agency decisions such as whether to keep an important role player like Derrick Jones Jr. The Bulls have a handful of their own free agents, also including Tony Bradley and Troy Brown Jr.