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Chicago Bulls: Can Zach LaVine become face of the franchise?

By Dan Schmelzer

Jan 1, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine (8) dribbles in the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Target Center. The Portland Trail Blazers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 95-89. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine (8) dribbles in the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Target Center. The Portland Trail Blazers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 95-89. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Can Zach LaVine take over for Jimmy Butler as the face of the franchise for the Chicago Bulls?

After years of trade rumors, the Chicago Bulls finally pulled the trigger on a Jimmy Butler deal just prior to the 2017 NBA Draft on Thursday. The Bulls sent Butler, along with the 16th overall pick, to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the seventh overall pick (which was used to draft Lauri Markkanen).

The Bulls had to trade Butler to jump-start their rebuild, but make no mistake about it, they sold low here. John Paxson and company did not get proper value for their star forward, trading their face of the franchise for 50 cents on the dollar.

With Butler gone, a massive rebuild is clearly right around the corner for the Chicago Bulls, with LaVine, Dunn and Markkanen leading the way. It will likely be a long time before the Bulls are competitive again, but starting over is the right move to make. However, in the meantime, who becomes the face of their franchise?

Unless they buy him out, Dwyane Wade is the guy for another year. But the Bulls need a young player to be the face of this rebuild. A guy who can give the fan base hope for the future. As of right now, LaVine is the one who makes the most sense.

The offensive upside

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LaVine is a freak athlete who is incredibly exciting to watch on the court. He is a two-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion, winning the contest in back-to-back years in 2015 and 2016. LaVine’s athleticism and ability to play above the rim is painfully obvious.

He also has a strong overall offensive game that should get Bulls’ fans excited. LaVine is a strong outside shooter, hitting 38% of his three-point shots for his career. An explosive athlete with good ball handling skills and the ability to hit from the outside. It is easy to see why LaVine could easily become a fan favorite and the face of the Chicago Bulls.

He is not a perfect player. His defense is pretty terrible. LaVine is never going to be an impact player on that end of the court, but he does have the ability to make up for it with his offense.

Also, he is coming off of a torn ACL in his left knee. The injury was suffered late last season, but LaVine has seemed to be progressing well from his injury. We will see if he is ready for the start of the season, but expect LaVine to be on the court sometime soon.

Next: Bulls selling second-round pick to Golden State was embarrassing

With Butler gone, the Chicago Bulls need a face of the franchise. They need a player who fans can get behind and be given a reason to believe in the future. LaVine is far from a perfect basketball player but he is a talented guy who has a ton of offensive upside. The Bulls need to let him do his thing, fill up the stat sheet and become the face of their franchise.

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