A slow news cycle for most of the week concerning the Chicago Bulls was snapped heading into the weekend. The Bulls made the move to finally get a sign-and-trade deal done to move restricted free agent and fourth-year power forward Lauri Markkanen on the late morning of Aug. 27. And then, star shooting guard Zach LaVine made the move himself to leave his longtime agency BDA for Klutch Sports and Rich Paul.
There will always be the chatter when a star that is also an impending unrestricted free agent, like LaVine, signs with an agency like Klutch that he could be looking elsewhere next summer. But that’s likely not what Bulls fans should be taking away from LaVine signing with Klutch.
The fact that LaVine is getting an upgraded supporting cast, new agency representation like Klutch, and winning Olympic Gold, shows just how his brand is growing after he notched his first-career All-Star nod this year. LaVine’s name recognition and brand are growing, and rightly so.
Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine moves on from Bill Duffy to Rich Paul and Klutch Sports
Zach LaVine is expected to sign with Klutch Sports Group, according to a league source.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) August 28, 2021
LaVine continues to improve each passing year, even at 26 years old. And there’s no reason to believe that he won’t do the same this coming season. It could be the first of many All-Star selections for LaVine from last season.
Now one of two Bulls players represented by Klutch, this could be a presence that continues to expand in Chicago. The other Bulls player that is signed with Klutch is the former New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball.
Moreover, this now leaves star center Nikola Vucevic as the lone Bulls player represented by Bill Duffy, with LaVine leaving that agency for Klutch.
There’s not really one agent that overwhelmingly has most of the Bulls players signed. Klutch might be starting to nab more Bulls players, especially with how many high-profile players Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley keep landing since the trade deadline.
Some of the other longer-tenured players that Klutch represents include LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Eric Bledsoe, John Wall, Tristan Thompson, Draymond Green, and Jusuf Nurkic, among others. LaVine and Lonzo are just two of the more notable names now represented by Klutch.