Fret not, Zach LaVine hasn’t made us wait too long and has decided to officially re-up with the Chicago Bulls for the next half-decade. Now that LaVine has finally re-signed, the Bulls can go proceed with their offseason plans and look to build a contender around their All-Star trio.
Shams Charania was the first to break this news, allowing fans to finally breathe a sigh of relief as their star returns home.
NBA All-Star Zach LaVine has agreed to a five-year, $215.2 million maximum contract to return to the Chicago Bulls, with a player option in Year 5, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2022
To the relief of fans, Zach LaVine has officially decided to return to the Chicago Bulls on a five-year, $215 million max contract extension.
Coming off the heels of two-consecutive All-Star appearances, LaVine looks to prove he’s just now scraping the surface of his potential as a dynamic scoring threat. He will once again be the centerpiece of next year’s team and will look to prove he can lead the Bulls on a real playoff push.
Barring last season where he was hampered by injuries and bouts with COVID-19, Zach has made significant strides to improve every year he’s been in the league. I have no doubt he will only continue to thrive next to fellow star DeMar DeRozan once he gets his body right. A player that can easily average 25+ points per game on excellent efficiency is worth every penny of this deal in today’s NBA.
This is how LaVine’s contract should shake out over the next five years:
- 2022-23: $36,600,000
- 2023-24: $39,528,000
- 2024-25: $42,456,000
- 2025-26: $45,384,000
- 2026-27: $48,312,000
That brings the contract total to a little over $212 million, likely with a few performance-based incentives to bring the official contract to a nice and even $215 million. That officially makes this the biggest contract ever signed by a player of the Chicago Bulls, a title previously held by Derrick Rose when he re-signed on a five-year, $94.8 million deal in 2011.
The fact that LaVine’s new deal more than doubles the previous biggest contract in Bulls history is indicative of the state of today’s NBA more than anything. Zach LaVine is a bonafide top 20 player and is better than plenty of other players on max contracts, so I’m not worried about this payday at all. Letting him walk would have a been far worse alternative.
I’m just happy we got our superstar back.