Reality has come knocking for the Bulls this week, and when they answer, there’s no one there.
That’s the predicament that Arturas Karnisovas, executive vice president of basketball operations, and the front office were facing Tuesday, a few days into NBA free agency, with players to move and plans to execute but nothing happening to help any of it along.
The elephant in the room — as has been the case for two years — is what to do with two-time All-Star guard Zach LaVine, who has three years and more than $137 million left on his maximum contract. The Bulls continue shopping LaVine and have presented dozens of trade options in the last few months alone, according to one source.
The Bulls continue shopping LaVine to anyone that picks up the phone and have presented dozens of options in the last few months alone, according to one source.
While there is a scenario in which LaVine is not moved and returns to the Bulls, he would do so to a locker room that would welcome him back, but a front office and ownership group that consider it the worst-case scenario.
An NBA insider told the Sun-Times on Tuesday that the relationship between LaVine and the team’s top brass is completely shattered and “filled with mistrust.”
LaVine and his representation at Klutch Sports feel like they were misled on possible trade destinations, and the Bulls thought LaVine “opting” for season-ending right foot surgery when rehab on the injury was still on the table was a counterpunch thrown below the belt.
If LaVine isn’t moved and returns to the Bulls, the locker room would welcome him back, but the front office and ownership are said to consider it a worst-case scenario. An NBA insider told the Sun-Times on Tuesday that the relationship between LaVine and the top brass is shattered and “filled with mistrust.” LaVine and his agents at Klutch Sports are said to feel misled on possible trade destinations. The Bulls, meanwhile, are said to be unhappy that LaVine had season-ending surgery on his right foot when rehab was still on the table, viewing it as a counterpunch.
In the Bulls’ statement on LaVine’s surgery decision in February, they used the specific wording “guard Zach LaVine and Klutch Sports Group have elected surgery on LaVine’s right foot as the next step in his recovery process.”
At the time, Karnisovas and coach Billy Donovan said LaVine’s group was meeting regularly with the Bulls’ medical staff, but the source Tuesday said it was more a case of LaVine and his representatives letting the Bulls know what they were doing, rather than looking for input.
If LaVine does remain with the Bulls, the on-the-court concern is where to play him. The team has shifted its focus more toward younger players, with newly acquired Josh Giddey penciled in as the starting point guard and Coby White moving back off the ball. What does that leave for LaVine? A three-guard attack doesn’t make sense, considering the defense those three play.
Moving LaVine remains the top priority.
That’s nothing new for him.
“There’s a lot of things that don’t bug me,” he said in his last interview with the Bulls reporters this spring. “My name has been circulating around more than once from the beginning of my career to now.”
In a perfect world, Karnisovas also would like to free the Bulls of Nikola Vucevic’s contract, but considering how dry the market for centers has become, keeping him isn’t necessarily a bad thing for now.
Veteran forward DeMar DeRozan’s future also remains up in the air. As the Sun-Times reported Monday, he’s no longer as devoted to the Bulls as he was, having seen personnel he was close to leave the organization, as well as one of his favorite teammates, guard Alex Caruso, who was shipped to the Thunder for Giddey.
The free-agent market for forwards also has dried up quickly, and there’s a good chance DeRozan could take a one-year prove-it deal unless the Bulls can help him with a sign-and-trade.