Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls has had a dramatic week.
LaVine did not play in the Bulls’ game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, and while conjecture claimed it was because of the trade request he made last week, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan told media before the game that LaVine had a foot injury.
LaVine was injured during the Bulls’ comeback victory over the Miami Heat on Saturday, but he made headlines for what he did afterward.
Bulls PR person tried to get Zach LaVine to stay on the court for the Post Game interview & Zach ignored her & pushes her away pic.twitter.com/qSBFJbqgro
— Gustavo (@iamvega1982) November 19, 2023
LaVine blamed the incident on a misunderstanding and stated that everything was well between him and the team’s media relations.
Ironically, LaVine is demonstrating that the way he handles his trade request is similar to the way he handles late-game pressure in that he is confused since he is not a superstar.
The issue for LaVine is not that he signed a super-max contract with the Bulls. The Bulls were virtually compelled to offer LaVine a super-max contract or risk starting their reconstruction. Yes, in retrospect, the Bulls should have started their rebuild instead of signing LaVine to a super-max contract, but it made sense at the time.
The problem is that LaVine has continually fallen short of expectations. Last season, the torch was supposed to be handed from DeMar DeRozan to LaVine, but the Bulls’ superstar would frequently freeze at crucial moments.
That is why it will be a welcome sight to watch once LaVine is off the Bulls’ roster, which will definitely happen this season. According to NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson, LaVine will be traded at some point this season, possibly closer to the trade deadline when teams are clearly defined as contenders.
The first date to watch for a potential LaVine trade is December 15, as that is when players who signed new contracts this summer can be transferred.
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