Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine wants to stay, Celtics eyeing him

While the NBA offseason is nearing its end, one of the biggest questions for the Chicago Bulls going into the 2021-2022 season has to do with star guard, Zach LaVine.

The Bulls made moves this offseason — big ones. The front office held nothing back in attempt to put together a playoff roster; one that could be built around LaVine as the centerpiece.

Adding DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball this summer, along with a few other guys, were big time moves. Throw in All Star center Nikola Vucevic and the Bulls have notable names aplenty surrounding LaVine.

The 7-year veteran has developed into one of the best young stars in the league and is coming fresh off his first All Star appearance last season. After signing a 4-year deal with the Bulls back in 2018, LaVine has continued to improve each season and now faces a contract year. The majority of fans would love for LaVine to be in Chicago for the long haul, but the Bulls have yet to get an extension done.

Zach LaVine may wish to stick with the Chicago Bulls, but he will have other suitors next summer.

Will LaVine end up sticking around?

If his take on the matter holds any weight, fan favorite and Chicago sports personality David Kaplan should alleviate any stress regarding LaVine’s future. He recently gave Bulls fans the answer they wanted to hear.

"“He has told people that I know: ‘Hey man, if they want me here, I’m not going anywhere. I’m building this thing. I’m the first guy in the door. I wanna be part of this.’“"

That’s music to our ears, although an extension would have ideally been done by now. At this point, LaVine will enter the fourth and final year of his current deal and could drive his asking price up even further going into free agency.

We’ve already heard LaVine publicly address his worth, stating that he feels he’s deserved a sizable contract. Just how willing are the Bulls to keep him around, though?

It does seem foolish to make all of these moves over the past few months, only to let LaVine go next summer and have a gaping hole to fill.

If the Bulls wish to keep LaVine, though, they will have competition. According to a recent report, the Boston Celtics may be eyeing LaVine as a top free agent target next summer.

Already with a core of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics could form a fierce trio if they were to add LaVine in the mix. Boston could become an Eastern Conference favorite once again if they landed LaVine.

If Chicago wants to avoid having to out-bid the competition, they would be smart to wrap this guy up sooner rather than later. Boston certainly has pieces in place to compete if they were to add one more big name, and so do the Bulls. Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley cannot afford to allow LaVine to leave for a team like Boston. The time is now for an extension.