Zach LaVine agrees to max contract to return to Chicago

Shams Charania: 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.
Source: Twitter @ShamsCharania

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

KC Johnson @KCJHoop
NBA free agents: Zach LaVine to return to Bulls on max contract
For ⁦@NBCSChicago⁩: nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/… – 12:16 PM Mike McGraw @McGrawDHSports
Zach LaVine’s Instagram video is pretty funny if you haven’t seen it yet. #Bulls
instagram.com/p/CfecDHJAFBf/ – 12:14 PM Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
Zach LaVine just made things official in his own way, posting this video on his Instagram with no caption but a pretty simple message (courtesy Wolf of Wall Street): “I’m not f***** leaving.” pic.twitter.com/i82Rtwnz7r – 12:14 PM Jamal Collier @JamalCollier
Zach LaVine has agreed to a five-year, $215 million max contract to return to the Bulls, a source confirms to ESPN. The fifth year is a player option. – 12:12 PM Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
Zach LaVine is reportedly re-signing with the Bulls, inking a $215 million maximum contract that will keep him in Chicago for five years.
Early story on the decision, which bolsters the front office’s goal to build off the core of last season’s success: chicagotribune.com/sports/bulls/c… – 12:10 PM Stephen Noh @StephNoh
I’m still updating this live blog throughout the day with instant grades on the big trades & signings.
Grades for LaVine, Zion, Gary Payton II are all up, along with yesterday’s moves:
sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/nb… – 12:09 PM Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
LaVine has a good relationship with KD … and is not opposed to recruiting … just saying. – 12:05 PM StatMuse @statmuse
Zach LaVine is returning to the Bulls:
— 20/4/4
— 46/39/83%
— 2x All Star
— Franchise most 3P in a season
2nd best shooting guard in franchise history? pic.twitter.com/DHjpk7RCYq – 12:04 PM Synergy Sports Tech @SynergySST
38 #NBA players used over 20 possessions per game during the 2021-22 regular season. Zach LaVine ranked 7th in that group in scoring efficiency. – 12:04 PM KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Zach LaVine has verbally agreed to sign with the Bulls on a five-year, $215M contract, a source confirmed, which was the expected outcome reported throughout week and which @Shams Charania first Tweeted. – 12:03 PM Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
As reported, Zach LaVine has agreed to the five-year, $215 million max deal to return to the Bulls. – 12:03 PM Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
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. – 11:58 AM Sean Deveney @SeanDeveney
In less than 20 hours, the NBA (potentially) committed nearly $1.5 billion to six players:
Zion WIlliamson, Ja Morant, Nikola Jokic, Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns, Brad Beal
LaVine will make it almost $1.7 billion – 10:35 AM Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
As we enter day 2 of free agency, Zach LaVine is still an unrestricted free agent.
@Amin Elhassan and @talkhoops are still expecting him to stay in Chicago pic.twitter.com/rXUSIeTALp – 9:08 AM Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Bulls Day 1 free agency – KD, Zach LaVine news, and an Andre Drummond …
Read it:
chicago.suntimes.com/bulls/2022/6/3… – 10:34 PM Yossi Gozlan @YossiGozlan
Top free agents still unsigned:
James Harden
Zach LaVine
Deandre Ayton
Miles Bridges
Collin Sexton
Jusuf Nurkic
T.J. Warren
Donte DiVincenzo
Mitchell Robinson
Otto Porter
Danilo Gallinari
Bruce Brown
Gary Payton II
Montrezl Harrell
Robin Lopez
Jalen Smith
Bryn Forbes
Jeremy Lamb – 9:17 PM Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
Best remaining FAs: James Harden, Deandre Ayton, Zach LaVine, Miles Bridges, Kevon Looney, Jusuf Nurkic, Bruce Brown, TJ Warren, Colin Sexton, Mitchell Robinson, Gary Payton, Otto Porter, M. Harrell, Andre Drummond, D. DiVencenzo, Caleb & Cody Martin. sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… – 9:16 PM John Hollinger @johnhollinger
Top remaining free agents: Harden, Ayton, LaVine, Oregon, Washington, Arizona State, Nurkic, Colorado, Robinson. – 9:01 PM Mark Deeks @MarkDeeksNBA
So who’s left that can meaningfully move a needle?
– Ayton
– LaVine
– Bridges
– Sexton
– Nurkic
– Warren
– DDV
– Looney
– Rubio (injured)
– Lamb
– Ibaka
– Thomas Bryant
– Bruce Brown
– Harrell
– Jalen Smith
– Sato (probably Barca bound)
– The Martins
– …Otto? – 8:46 PM Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Everyone relax… let Zach LaVine have some room. pic.twitter.com/NkRtzJhblK – 8:25 PM Mark Deeks @MarkDeeksNBA
Quite the world we live in now where Zach LaVine doesn’t sign in the first two hours of a three month window and we’re all wondering WHAT IS TAKING SO LONG – 8:12 PM Eric Koreen @ekoreen
Will Zach LaVine take the Raptors’ MLE? – 8:11 PM Mike McGraw @McGrawDHSports
Is it possible #Bulls are negotiating with LaVine instead of just dropping a full max offer? Been talking about that possibility for a while. We’ll find out eventually – 8:09 PM Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Best FAs still on the board:
PGs
G. Payton II
R. Rubio
D. Wright
F. Jackson
SGs
J. Haden
Z. LaVine
C. Sexton
G. Harris
SFs
M. Bridges
TJ Warren
Caleb Martin
Cody Martin
PFs
K. Anderson
O. Porter Jr.
M. Harrell
C. Anthony
Cs
D. Ayton
J. Nurkic
K. Looney
N. Claxton – 7:12 PM Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Where is that Zach LaVine max??? – 6:39 PM Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
“Continuity” is painful sometimes. Don’t know what else you people expected out of the gate. Meeting with LaVine was the top priority and taking place. – 6:27 PM Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Bulls cannot compete with package many teams can offer for KD. Just announce the LaVine max deal and try and take advantage of the KD fallout. – 3:59 PM Mike McGraw @McGrawDHSports
Could DeRozan, Durant and LaVine win a title? #Bulls – 3:10 PM

More on this storyline

Sources said the Bulls remain confident LaVine will agree to a contract of nearly $215 million — the most any team could offer — even as the two-time All-Star waits to hear all offers in the process. -via Chicago Sun-Times / July 1, 2022 Joe Cowley: Per a source, teams that had been courting LaVine through back channels the last few weeks felt like the Bulls have always been destination No. 1 and no real close second. -via Twitter @JCowleyHoops / June 30, 2022 Zach LaVine has told people he plans to re-sign with the Bulls. He and the Bulls are expected to quickly work on a five-year max contract worth roughly $215 million. Verbal commitments are allowed before the league moratorium ends on July 6, the date that signings can begin. -via NBC Sports / June 30, 2022