3 Bulls on Thin Ice Entering 2024-25 Season

3. Zach LaVine

Zach LaVine is on thin ice. There is no easy way to say it. There was proof in the offseason. The Bulls were planning on parting ways with LaVine. However, the front office was unable to proceed forward.

LaVine is deemed untradeable. No matter how much the salary cap expands, no team is willing to trade for LaVine. His contract is an ignorant approach to a flawed oversight. The market setting was stable, and the Bulls approached it with a lack of patience. It has resulted in the current dilemma the Bulls have endured as a team.

LaVine is not a part of the youth movement. He is not a true superstar in this league. Players who play efficiently on both sides of the ball are true superstars. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embid, and Nikola Jokic all display and exemplify those qualities. Zach LaVine is, at best, a reliable second or third-scoring option for a playoff contender.

Karnisovas's biggest blunder is not the selection of Williams. It is resigning LaVine to a massive contract extension when the Bulls are nowhere near contention. The contract has led the Bulls to find alternative routes in building a roster. It has stalled numerous moves and led the Bulls down a path that is hard to recover quickly.

With the massive contract and no draft picks, the Bulls are in the worst position an NBA team can theoretically position themselves in. It is dangerous and infuriating to rely on the play of LaVine. The lack of defensive efficiency cost the Bulls several games in recent years.

Now, he is a player who has no worth or value. The best approach is to let LaVine play out the season. If he can increase his trade value to where the Bulls can grab something similar to the DeRozan deal, then you take it and run.

Karnisovas has no leverage or say in the return value. He lost that opportunity after resigning LaVine. It has stunted the youth movement and will hurt the Bulls in the long run. Arturas has many problems to address on the roster. The hope is that a solution to the LaVine situation can be found.

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