Fansided

Bulls prepared to overpay Zach Lavine in restricted free agency

By Rucker Haringey

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 11: Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls drives against Taurean Prince #12 of the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on March 11, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 11: Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls drives against Taurean Prince #12 of the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on March 11, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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The Bulls have a lot invested in Zach LaVine, but that doesn’t mean they should max him out this summer. Unfortunately, that’s what Chicago has planned.

When the Bulls shipped Jimmy Butler to Minnesota last year they believed Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine would form their backcourt for years to come. One year later, and only one guard seems to still be in Chicago’s plans. The team are determined to keep LaVine no matter what sort of offers he receives in restricted free agency this summer.

Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reports the Bulls feel they have too much invested in LaVine to let him go this summer. That means the franchise will be willing to match all offers for the athletic guard. The Bulls are even willing to hand LaVine a max contract if that’s what it takes.

To put it mildly, that would represent a massive gamble by the organization. First of all, there are serious questions about LaVine’s health moving forward. He only played 24 games last season after recovering from a torn ACL the year before. It’s possible he could have played more if the Bulls were actually trying to wing games down the stretch, but it’s still clear his knee isn’t 100 percent.

Betting on him to fully recover from his knee injury is reasonable. Expecting him to suddenly become a good enough player to merit max money is not. The simple truth is Dunn’s performance on the floor hasn’t come anywhere close to that level of compensation during his brief career.

Last season’s PER of 14.6 was right around the league average. That low number wasn’t just a product of his injury either. It actually is the highest mark he’s posted during his four-year NBA career.

The real problem with LaVine is that he’s a perimeter player who likes to shoot a lot, but isn’t actually good at it. He shot a dismal 38.3 percent from the field last season. That’s a horrible number for a player who is supposedly a freak athlete. You would assume his ability to get to the basket and elevate over defenders would lead to a much higher shooting percentage.

His 34 percent shooting from behind the three-point arc doesn’t do him any favors either. It’s reasonable to think he can increase that when his les are fully underneath him, but he’s unlikely to ever become an elite perimeter shooter.

Next: Bulls aren't enamored with Kris Dunn

What LaVine is at this point in his career is a really intriguing athlete who can create shots for himself at a high clip. Unfortunately, he can’t do that with any real efficiency. That sounds a lot more like a player who should be fighting for a mid-level exception than earning a maximum contract. Bulls fans should hope no other team forces their favorite franchise to give LaVine the sort of money Chicago is willing to pay him.

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