There are a handful of spots in the starting five for the Chicago Bulls that should already be locked down for the start of the 2019-20 regular season, despite a big trade or injury in training camp. The 24-year-old former Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Zach LaVine is one of those starters that should have a spot locked down.
LaVine was the most natural scorer that the Bulls had in the rotation this past regular season and he was also the most capable creator for his own looks and for his teammates. He registered a career-high 23.7 points per game, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. LaVine managed to also get a solid player efficiency rating roughly at 19.0.
A backup at shooting guard could be a need for the Bulls in the free agent market, but there is some versatility here. Other pieces like former Michigan State Spartans standout Denzel Valentine could be a good option to be the second string shooting guard behind LaVine, as could the rookie Chandler Hutchison.
Moreover, LaVine should still be the primary ball handler for the Bulls, unless there’s a much better option at point guard. If LaVine does turn into the type of player that fits among the best scorers in the Eastern Conference, like he was in late January and February 2019, he’ll be well worth the roughly $19 million he’s getting each year.