Zach LaVine could be poached from Bulls in free agency

Zach LaVine once appeared fairly likely to re-sign with the Bulls as an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Chicago surrounded him with far more talent. He sounded predisposed to staying. The Bulls led the Eastern Conference after the All-Star break.

LaVine playing through a knee injury looked particularly telling. Would he really risk that without assurances from Chicago on his next deal? Players in contract years are usually cautious.

But injuries and regression hit the Bulls. Chicago slumped into the playoffs. LaVine said home fans should boo the Bulls and called their performance embarrassing. Chicago got steamrolled by the Bucks in the first round. Due to coronavirus protocols, LaVine wasn’t even with the team at the end – a sour final impression.

LaVine said after the season he’d explore free agency.

Which people in the NBA noticed.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN:

If going on only LaVine’s postseason quote, executives are probably overreacting. In February, when the Bulls were faring better, LaVine looked forward to free agency and even brought up a chip on his shoulder over how Chicago treated him during 2018 restricted free agency.

But executives aren’t necessarily going on only a quote. If LaVine is serious about the possibility of leaving that Bulls, he and his agent (Rich Paul) could already be signaling that to teams. Newsflash: Free agency begins before it officially opens.

Of course, LaVine could also be planning to re-sign while just trying to gain leverage on Chicago. His max contract with the Bulls projects to be about $212 million over five years (or about $157 million elsewhere). Given his ongoing knee issues, the 27-year-old might have to…