For Zach Lavine, it was the Chicago Bulls and them only. Speaking on a Zoom call after officially signing a five-year, $215 million extension with the Bulls, Lavine revealed he never took a meeting with any other franchise.
“I went into the offseason with an open mind,” LaVine said, according to The Athletic. “I laid out my goals just like I always have. And once I was able to meet with (Bulls management) and they came to me with everything that I wanted, there was no other reason for me to go outside and look at any other teams.
“I think that would have been disrespectful on my end because they gave me everything I asked for, and everything on the table that I looked at had Chicago as all the pros. I did my due diligence on my own time, as well, and looked at things and made a decision for me and my family. But my heart was in Chicago.”
During his stint with the Bulls, Lavine averaged 24.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in over 270 games. Last year was a significant step forward for Lavine as the Bulls’ brass built a core around him consisting of DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, and more, that placed the team at the top of the conference for much of the season before injuries made an impact. Those injuries included Lavine’s nagging knee, which he received a procedure that he called “run of the mill” during this summer.
On May 24, Lavine had arthroscopic surgery on his knee and stated he feels way better. He also added that his goal is to win a championship for the team.
You can read more about Lavine’s goals for the upcoming season here.
