Wiretap: Bulls Hope To Re-Sign Zach LaVine At $14M-$16M

[BR0D1E86]

Meaning LaVine will no doubt be back in a Bulls uniform.

17 million for Zach Lavine. Goodness gracious. There ought to be doubt.

Evan Fournier is set to make $17M next season
Evan Turner $17.1M
Wesley Matthews $17.9M
Ryan Anderson $19.6M

etc

You ever meet somebody that eats fast food every day and weighs a billion pounds?

You don’t have to stuff big macs in your face just to make them feel better about their poor choices.

[transplant]

Anyone who defends LaVine on his performance last season is playing a very bad hand. At best, he was disappointing.

The Bulls FO still seem to believe in his potential...to a point. Personally, I’m glad that the FO has apparently put limits on their commitment to LaVine. Taking a calculated risk on a high upside player is one thing, but ignoring the downside risk when making a long-term commitment, would be a mistake. If some other team is hellbent on making that kind of mistake, you have to let them.


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[Repeat 3-peat]

You know what he showed us in those 24 games? He showed us how truly stupid he is. Since he was on a new team, coming off a serious injury, with "no camp, nothing", then why in the F was his usage almost 30%? Why was he jacking up 20 shots per 36 minutes. Why was he playing hero ball? Why? When he was sucking complete and total ass. He plays like a moron. He has for four years now. See, when a smart player is struggling he doesn't increase his usage and shots by 25%. Smh, it's really pretty simple.

His usage going up was more so Imo frustration. He came back with a lot of hype and he played well the first few games then he started struggling then forced the issue, he's a scorer, that is his game. That is something he'll have to learn as he gains experience.

Also, a lot of players are told to keep shooting until the shots start going in when struggling, maybe the coaches kept encouraging him to shoot? Not like this team was trying to win.

I was wondering if he was told to shoot as much as he did. However, what Pax said about him needing to be a better basketball player made me take pause on that.


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I think it can be both.

Telling him to shoot could have helped him into rhythm and get his confidence up while trying to break out from the slump he was in. (Course knee pain didn't let that happen, got shut down)

LaVine does need to be a better basketball player in terms of having a better shot selection and defense. It's hard to do that when you're spending a year rehabbing instead of working on his game like his peers.

[brucey_72]

I like Lavine but if he is offered anything over 16million let him walk. I think the players we need to build around are Markkanan and Carter. I think Dunn and Lavine can be decent role playersi. I hope we can keep Portis.

[WindyCityBorn]

It would be a crazy move for the Kings to do-but they are a bad Org

I would take KCP over Lavine, if Lavine gets a big offer. Offer KCP 4/$40 (no one will top that) and we have an elite defensive backcourt

Pope is a thug. I say that even though he played at Georgia.

[Betta Bulleavit]

I like Lavine but if he is offered anything over 16million let him walk. I think the players we need to build around are Markkanan and Carter. I think Dunn and Lavine can be decent role playersi. I hope we can keep Portis.

In fairness, most people only feel that way because of how young Lauri and WCJ are. I'm not saying that you are right or wrong. Just that there seems to be this perception that younger is always better. But I think that there is enough data to reference that suggests that that's not always the case. I like to look more at the average age of a core rather than saying "these are our two youngest players...lets just build around them". Because if you do that, you could easily find yourself building around players that are inferior to the slightly older ones that you just let walk.

[Truebiscuit]

17 million for Zach Lavine. Goodness gracious. There ought to be doubt.

Evan Fournier is set to make $17M next season
Evan Turner $17.1M
Wesley Matthews $17.9M
Ryan Anderson $19.6M

etc

You ever meet somebody that eats fast food every day and weighs a billion pounds?

You don’t have to stuff big macs in your face just to make them feel better about their poor choices.

Nothing about that; just giving a window into today's NBA marketplace.

[BR0D1E86]

Evan Fournier is set to make $17M next season
Evan Turner $17.1M
Wesley Matthews $17.9M
Ryan Anderson $19.6M

etc

You ever meet somebody that eats fast food every day and weighs a billion pounds?

You don’t have to stuff big macs in your face just to make them feel better about their poor choices.

Nothing about that; just giving a window into today's NBA marketplace.

They weren’t signed in today’s marketplace though. They were signed after a cap explosion when significantly more teams had cap space. This market is very different.

And those are all considered bad contracts.

[aramada]

With Garrett Temple opting in, that's one more SG still on their roster (+ Hield and Bogdanovic) and unless they trade or stretch players, Sacramento can now offer up to $80MM. Still a lot, but fairly capped now.

[Truebiscuit]

You ever meet somebody that eats fast food every day and weighs a billion pounds?

You don’t have to stuff big macs in your face just to make them feel better about their poor choices.

Nothing about that; just giving a window into today's NBA marketplace.

They weren’t signed in today’s marketplace though. They were signed after a cap explosion when significantly more teams had cap space. This market is very different.

And those are all considered bad contracts.

I suppose... in my mind's eye we clearly liked LaVine enough to make him the centerpiece in the Butler deal. Then, Markkanen exploded last season and management was thrilled. If we can retain LaVine for 4 years/$68M, or whatever, what's the harm? He's 23 years old, has limited experience in our system/with our players, and has an arrow that -- if anything -- is pointed up.

Does he prohibit us from dolling out a max contract in the future? No.
Is he a potential asset that could be flipped if we so choose? Perhaps.
Is there a chance he gets better as he builds chemistry with this team? Yes.
Would it be dope to see him in the 2020 All-Star game, in Chicago, rocking our jersey? Absolutely!

[MrFortune3]

Read on Twitter

Meaning LaVine will no doubt be back in a Bulls uniform.

17 million for Zach Lavine. Goodness gracious. There ought to be doubt.

Doubt about what? That's what players like him tend to get. If he had been healthy all of last season you are talking a max contract for sure.

[MisterRoy]

Everyone complains that we don't attract top tier free agents but we don't want to sign Zach to a lot of money because it stops us from signing a top tier free agent...

Uh...


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[TheHrvReport]

People will be begging to give him 17-18 million after this upcoming season...just pay the man now.

[BR0D1E86]

Meaning LaVine will no doubt be back in a Bulls uniform.

17 million for Zach Lavine. Goodness gracious. There ought to be doubt.

Doubt about what? That's what players like him tend to get. If he had been healthy all of last season you are talking a max contract for sure.

It is what players like him tend to get. Then the teams tend to get mentioned in rumors as being willing to give a pick to move them a couple years later.

Zach is worth the gamble to a point. But he’s been a poor, negative influence to winning basketball player for four consecutive seasons. He needs to improve by a significant, significant margin to be worth half of the numbers we’re talking about in here.

[sco]

I wonder if a deal could be reached for a shorter-period, higher amount. Something like 3/$70M I'd rather pay more for 1 less year or cap hit if he sucks or gets injured.

[transplant]

People will be begging to give him 17-18 million after this upcoming season...just pay the man now.

Begging? Based on what?

[Clint Eastwood]

Meaning LaVine will no doubt be back in a Bulls uniform.

17 million for Zach Lavine. Goodness gracious. There ought to be doubt.

Evan Fournier is set to make $17M next season
Evan Turner $17.1M
Wesley Matthews $17.9M
Ryan Anderson $19.6M

etc

I still like lavine’s Potential, but using those players above doesnt make the contract look better by any stretch. Most of those teams would love someone to take those players off their hands to rid themselves of those contracts.

[TheHrvReport]

People will be begging to give him 17-18 million after this upcoming season...just pay the man now.

Begging? Based on what?

Based on the season he's about to have. Historically this seems like the biggest year of growth for players and he's got all the tools to make that jump.

[tron_carter]

If the play is AD you cannot look at Portis or Lavine or Hood

[TheHrvReport]

17 million for Zach Lavine. Goodness gracious. There ought to be doubt.

Evan Fournier is set to make $17M next season
Evan Turner $17.1M
Wesley Matthews $17.9M
Ryan Anderson $19.6M

etc

I still like lavine’s Potential, but using those players above doesnt make the contract look better by any stretch. Most of those teams would love someone to take those players off their hands to rid themselves of those contracts.

You're right, just because one team gives out of a bad contract to a player doesn't mean its OK for another team to do the same. However, given that some of the free agents that were signed were RFAs and got similar offers from other teams as well. What I'm saying is a players contract doesn't always reflect that persons exact value but it USUALLY is in the ballpark. I think if those guys are getting that type of money you can't not give Lavine something like 16 million