When it comes to the world of professional basketball, rumors are a part and parcel. One player who can’t seem to escape them is Zach LaVine, the athletic ace of the Chicago Bulls.
Despite the continued swirl of NBA trade rumors surrounding him, his steadfast commitment to the Bulls appears to be unwavering.
Reports surfaced at the start of the season about LaVine’s name being tossed around in trade talks. In response, the two-time All-Star expressed his detachment from the chatter.
“Am I still a part of this team and very committed? Yeah. I got a Bulls jersey on,” he told reportersThursday. “I committed here. For as long as I’ll be here, I’ll still support and love Chicago and play my heart out for those guys (teammates). That’s never going to change.”
Zach LaVine commits to Chicago
“Am I still a part of this team and very committed? Yeah. I’ve got a Bulls jersey on and I’m committed here. For as long as I’ll be here I’ll still support and love Chicago.”
(🎥 @byjuliapoe )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 7, 2023
According to K.C. Johnson from NBC Sports Chicago, LaVine was not only very much aware that the Bulls had considered trading him in the summer, he was also growing weary of the internal debate within the organization questioning whether he can spearhead a championship-contending team.
“My camp isn’t putting them out,” he said to ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “I committed to the Bulls when I signed my five-year deal. So until I’m not, I’m committed to the Bulls. I’ve always brought professionalism and consistent play, and that’s what I’ll continue to do.”
Chicago’s less than impressive 8-14 start to the season has given rise to a certain section of fans who believe that the front office needs to restructure the current core of the team a process that could implicate LaVine.
However, will Chicago Bulls’ office give into this pressure from critics and fans? But the state of affairs doesn’t seem to support anything concrete on this front.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on December 1 that finding a market for Zach LaVine now would be difficult.
The reasons are two-fold: the huge $138 million contract he’s required to be paid over the next three years and the longstanding questions surrounding his value on the court.
"There is not a market for Zach LaVine right now."@wojespn with the latest on LaVine and the Bulls 👀 pic.twitter.com/r4stqcKkor
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 1, 2023
Regardless of all these ongoing speculations and debates, LaVine has insisted there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.
Amplifying the fact that he is willing to resist change, and instead strives towards the betterment of the team he currently belongs.
“I love Chicago; I’ve always wanted to be in a place that wanted me, and Chicago showed me that. But obviously trade rumors are part of the business. Are they wanted? No. But I’m a grown man, I’ve been traded before. I know how to deal with them. You have to take it that way; it’s a business, so I don’t get too upset,” he concluded.
