Should Knicks target Bulls unrestricted free agent Zach LaVine in offseason?
The NBA playoffs kicked off on Saturday and although the New York Knicks are watching from home, there’s still a certain level of excitement that comes along with this time of year. New York may not be part of the competition, but a few of the team’s future players might be. Are there any Zach LaVine takers out there?
The 27-year-old is wrapping up his fifth year with the Chicago Bulls. He’s playing the final season of the four-year, $78 million offer that he signed in 2018.
LaVine and the Bulls didn’t agree to a contract extension before the 2021 deadline, so he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
There are high hopes within the organization that he’ll sign an extension before the end of June. LaVine will be eligible for a five-year, $200 million deal during the offseason if he decides to stay in Chicago, or a four-year, $160 million deal if he goes elsewhere.
In the off chance that he decides to test out the waters, the Knicks should at least try to be poised to make LaVine an offer.
Would unrestricted free agent Zach LaVine fit in with the New York Knicks?
LaVine’s well aware that he outplayed his current contract, which was given to him by the Kings after he tore his ACL. He’s exceeded expectations, so he deserves every penny of the contract that he’s going to sign this summer, whether it’s with the Bulls or not.
If things go south in Chicago and he decides to have a meeting with New York, the Knicks’ front office is going to have to be ready to open their wallets. For that to happen, a Julius Randle trade will have to be a preceding factor.
Randle’s four-year, $117 million contract inked him to New York through 2024-25, with a player option for the final season in 2025-26. As of right now, it seems as if he wants to remain with the Knicks, and Leon Rose is happy to keep him, but given that it’s a long offseason, that could very well change.
Most fans aren’t convinced by what Randle’s said and if it were up to those fans, they’d be thrilled to have LaVine in place of Randle.
LaVine’s the starting small forward in with the Bulls, which is the role that Cam Reddish and Quentin Grimes are going to be battling for leading up to 2022-23. He can also play in the shooting guard position, which belonged to Evan Fournier this past year.
There’s no question that LaVine’s the better player out of the four aforementioned names, but perhaps New York would rather stick with continuing to develop young talent than bringing in a new veteran face.
Then again, LaVine played under Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota, and we know how fond the coach is of his former players.
This year, LaVine averaged 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in the 67 games that he played during the regular season. He shot 47.6% from the field and 38.9% from the 3-point line.
The Knicks were tied to him in trade rumors over a year ago and if he’s made available in July, they’ll have another shot at bringing LaVine to New York. He’d be a good leader in a locker room full of younger players and he knows what it takes to bring a team back to relevance.
LaVine and Chicago will face the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET. Be sure to tune in because you never know what could happen over the next few months, Knicks fans.
