Zach LaVine Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: LaVine, Allen, DiVincenzo, Garland, Olynyk

September 25th, 2021 at 10:24am CST by Dana Gauruder

Zach LaVine and Bulls have been unable to reach a contract extension agreement this offseason. He said it won’t affect his performance or mindset heading into the season, Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes.

“What I can control is what I do on the court. That’s what I do best, I take care of business,” he said. “I’ll come into camp ready to be a good teammate and be a better leader every day and help my team win. I think that shows my value and I’ll let my business part speak for itself when the time comes.”

LaVine, who will make $19.5MM this season, could be the top unrestricted free agent on the market next summer unless he works something out with his current club. Given that the Bulls can’t offer more than about $105MM over four years on an extension, an in-season deal appears very unlikely.

We have more from the Central Division:

Grayson Allen and Donte DiVincenzo are eligible for rookie scale extensions prior to the start of the season. Bucks GM Jon Horst is hopeful of reaching agreements with both but it’s not necessarily a high priority to get them locked up, he told Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “I don’t think it’s essential that we figure out how to extend them,” he said. “I think it’s a priority to have the discussions, see if there’s any kind of meeting of the minds or any way that we can land a deal with one or both those guys. They’re guys that we value and we like, but if not, they’re both restricted.”
Oddsmakers have projected the Cavaliers to lose more games than any other Eastern Conference team except Orlando. That doesn’t stop Cleveland guard Darius Garland from setting his sights on the postseason, Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype writes. “Our expectations are to make the playoffs,” he said. “The league is very balanced this year, so it’s going to be tough, but I think we’ve got the guys and the mindset to do it.”
Figuring out what to do with their top free agent acquisition, Kelly Olynyk, will be one of the main storylines in Pistons training camp, Keith Langlois of the team’s website writes. They’ll have to decide whether to start Olynyk or use him as Isaiah Stewart‘s backup. They’ll also have to decide whether to use to him at power forward at times alongside Stewart. Detroit targeted Olynyk due his ability to stretch the floor. He signed a three-year, $37MM contract in August.
The Pistons are fully vaccinated, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports tweets.

Central Notes: LaVine, Sumner, Pistons, Bucks

September 14th, 2021 at 7:13pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bulls All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine is not worried about how he will mesh alongside new starting small forward DeMar DeRozan, per Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. Both players to this point have been primary scorers for their respective clubs.

“I don’t get that at all, because that’s just outside narratives,” LaVine said of the on-court collaboration with his pricey new Bulls teammate. “It’s our job to get out there and get to know each other, obviously personally and as a basketball player. It’s easy to make things work on the basketball court if you all have the same intent, and that’s winning.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

After recently tearing his left Achilles tendon during an offseason workout, 25-year-old Pacers guard Edmond Sumner underwent a successful surgery to repair the ligament, per a team press release. Drafted with the No. 52 pick out of Xavier by Indiana in 2017, Sumner has developed into a helpful reserve in his first four NBA seasons thus far. In 53 games played during the 2019/20 season, Sumner averaged 7.5 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 0.9 APG across 16.2 MPG. He posted a shooting line of .525/.398/.819.
The Pistons could stand to benefit from adding a third center with their available guaranteed roster spot, writes Rod Beard of the Detroit Free Press. The club signed Kelly Olynyk in free agency this summer, and are hopeful that second-year big man Isaiah Stewart, an All-Rookie Second Teamer, can continue to develop. Beard notes that it makes sense for Detroit to keep its 15th roster spot open through training camp, in case another veteran center becomes available elsewhere in the NBA.
Bucks shooting guards Donte DiVincenzo and Grayson Allen, both set to be restricted free agents in 2022, could net contract extensions by October 18 this season. Eric Nehm of The Athletic posits that, judging by the contracts meted out to similar-caliber players during the 2021 offseason, DiVincenzo could earn a multiyear contract worth $50MM or more, though Nehm wonders if the Bucks will be cautious to extend him before seeing how he plays on the hardwood. DiVincenzo injured a tendon in his left foot suffered during the 2021 playoffs. Nehm views the newly-added Allen as something of a contingency plan for DiVincenzo.

Central Notes: LaVine, Bulls, Valentine, Cavaliers

September 11th, 2021 at 3:33pm CST by JD Shaw

The Bulls and star guard Zach LaVine have yet to reach an agreement on a contract extension, something the 26-year-old is simply viewing as a product of business, he told Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago (video link).

“It’s business. At the end of the day, I have my own things that I want to go after,” he said. “I have a lot of different motivations in my life that I try to use on the court, but I’m focused on this next upcoming year, seeing how good that I can help this team win and obviously keep developing myself and getting better as a player.”

Should the sides fail to reach an extension, LaVine would become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The All-Star guard is set to make just $19.5MM in his deal this coming season.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Speaking of the Bulls, LaVine is excited to play with his new teammates this fall, Sean Deveney of Forbes writes. Chicago added DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Derrick Jones Jr. and others this summer, upgrading its roster alongside LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. “I think we have a great group of guys and talent going in there,” LaVine said. “Especially when you have high expectations—you want to live up to those. I want to start early from the ground, get everybody on the same page, obviously we have a lot of new players, a lot of new personalities. We have expectations this year, but we have to go out there and show people why we want to go out there and win.”
The Cavaliers‘ two-year deal with Denzel Valentine is partially guaranteed in the first season and non-guaranteed in the second, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Valentine is expected to compete for a role at shooting guard and small forward this season. He spent the last five years with the Bulls, averaging 7.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 19.8 minutes per game on 39% shooting from the field and 36% shooting from three-point range.
Cleveland is likely to make one more minor signing for training camp, Fedor notes (via Twitter). As we previously reported, the Cavaliers recently finalized training camp contracts with both RJ Nembhard and Mitch Ballock. The team also signed Tre Scott and Tacko Fall to camp deals earlier this month.

Eastern Notes: Celtics, LaVine, Herro, Moore, Jordan

September 11th, 2021 at 1:45pm CST by JD Shaw

The Celtics could target Bulls swingman Zach LaVine if Bradley Beal doesn’t become available on the trade market this season, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe opines.

Beal, who has spent all nine of his seasons with the Wizards, is considered unavailable in trade discussions today. NBA teams recognize that this could change, however, especially with the 28-year-old entering the final season of his contract.

Boston is well-positioned to make a trade for the next disgruntled star, but Chicago made several upgrades around LaVine this offseason. Nevertheless, LaVine and the Bulls have yet to agree to an extension, making his situation one to monitor if the team underwhelms.

Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference:

Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines how bulking up could be beneficial for Heat guard Tyler Herro. The third-year Kentucky product has prioritized getting stronger during the offseason, something that could certainly help him defensively. On the offensive end, Herro has averaged 14.3 points and 2.8 assists in 109 regular-season games to this point, playing 28.8 minutes per contest.
The Magic‘s deal with guard E’Twaun Moore is a one-year, fully guaranteed contract at the veteran’s minimum, Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets.
Brian Lewis of the New York Post examines how DeAndre Jordan‘s tenure with the Nets came to an end. The veteran center was traded from Brooklyn to Detroit, then reached a buyout agreement with the Pistons — which allowed him to sign with the Lakers as a free agent. The writing was on the wall for Jordan and Brooklyn, as the Nets had penciled in Blake Griffin at starting center, along with Paul Millsap, LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Claxton off the bench.

Eastern Notes: Jordan, Yurtseven, LaVine, Wizards’ Defense

September 4th, 2021 at 9:46am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets offered a first-round pick to potential trade partners in order to shed DeAndre Jordan‘s contract but couldn’t find any takers, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. They instead dipped into their stockpile of second-rounders, forwarding four of them as part of the trade with the Pistons. The Nets still have second-rounders in 2024, 2026 and 2028.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Heat 7-footer Omer Yurtseven believes he can contribute in a number of ways, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. “The biggest focus has been on being big inside, and I think that’s the presence that the Heat can use and I can provide,” Yurtseven said. “Being able to do that and guard the pick-and-roll, be the big presence inside and rebounding obviously has been a huge emphasis, as well. Also, with my talent and skill set, being able to stretch the floor, being able to post up and use my touch around the rim and also the midrange and step outside, as well.” Yurtseven averaged 22.4 PPG, 11.2 RPG and 2.4 BPG in five summer league games, which earned him a two-year contract.
Zach LaVine will have a lot more pressure on him than in any other previous season in his NBA career, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. The Bulls’ front office has built the team specifically to emphasize his strengths and now LaVine has to produce with the team’s expectations ramped up. LaVine, who is an unrestricted free agent after the season, can prove he deserves to be compensated like a max player if he delivers.
The Wizards are capable of being an above-average defensive team this coming season due to the roster changes they made, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. They have upgraded their defense at the point and on the wings with the additions of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Aaron Holiday and Spencer Dinwiddie but could still face some challenges in the paint.

Zach LaVine To Switch Agents Entering Contract Year

August 29th, 2021 at 5:49pm CST by JD Shaw

Bulls star Zach LaVine has made the decision to leave agencies BDA Sports and Innovate Sports, as first reported by K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

LaVine is expected to sign with Rich Paul‘s Klutch Sports Group, which represents players such as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Draymond Green, Ben Simmons and John Wall. Paul also represents Lonzo Ball, who joined the Bulls via a sign-and-trade agreement earlier this month.

LaVine had been co-represented by Bill Duffy and Nima Namakian. The 26-year-old is entering the final season of a four-year, $78MM deal signed with Chicago in 2018, which means he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2021/22 campaign.

LaVine is coming off the first All-Star season of his career, averaging 27.4 points, five rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. He also shot a career-high 51% from the floor and 42% from deep during those contests.

Central Notes: Mobley, Hartenstein, Garza, Bulls

August 15th, 2021 at 1:36pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The tenure of Cavaliers rookie center Evan Mobley in this year’s NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is over, confirms Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Fedor adds that the Cavaliers were only ever planning to have the former USC big man, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft, suit up for three contests while in Vegas.

In 33 games for USC, Mobley averaged 16.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 2.9 BPG. He was named the 2020/21 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year as well as the 2020/21 Pac-12 Player of the Year during his lone college season. Mobley was also a consensus All-American selection.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

A Cavaliers team representative attended a Las Vegas workout for free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein this week, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Hartenstein played with Cleveland to conclude the season, as part of the team’s return package in the trade that sent center JaVale McGee to the Nuggets. Fedor notes that, though Cleveland may be open to a reunion, the club’s priority is adding wing depth. The seven-footer averaged 8.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.5 APG and 1.2 BPG across 16 games for Cleveland after the deal.
Pistons rookie big man Luka Garza is aware that he may have to use effort to compensate for his shortcomings in speed. “I know every guy in the NBA can beat me in a 3/4 court sprint,” he said, per James Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). “But is everyone going to run that hard in the game? No, but I’m going to.” The 6’11” Garza was the No. 52 selection out of Iowa in this year’s draft.
New Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan anticipates that his All Star teammate Zach LaVine will see his play improve thanks to a galvanizing Summer Olympics stint in Tokyo this year, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “Just being around the greatest players in the world, the greatest minds, the greatest coaches, it does something unconsciously to you that gives you the ultimate confidence, the ultimate work ethic, makes you realize that you belong in the elite category of guys,” DeRozan said. “You see their work ethic, the way they approach the game, the winning mentality that they have and what it feels like to win. And something like that carries over whether you realize it or not. It goes a long way.” DeRozan won a gold medal with Team USA during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Fischer’s Latest: Markkanen, DeRozan, Hield, Hart, Suns, More

August 10th, 2021 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans, Mavericks, Celtics, and Timberwolves are among the teams that have shown interest in Bulls restricted free agent Lauri Markkanen, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who hears from sources that the price tag on the power forward would be about $15MM per year.

Landing Markkanen would be a challenge for any of those teams, however, as they’re all over the cap and would have to acquire the RFA forward via sign-and-trade. New Orleans has a traded player exception big enough to fit Markkanen, but the other teams would likely to have rely on salary-matching or offer him a lower salary (Dallas has a TPE worth $10.872MM, while Boston has one worth $9.72MM). Acquiring a player via sign-and-trade also results in a hard cap, which the Celtics are reportedly resisting.

On top of all that, Fischer confirms a previous report that the Bulls are seeking a first-round pick to accommodate a Markkanen sign-and-trade and don’t want to take on any salary, preferring any contracts to be rerouted to a third team. If they maintain that stance, the Bulls would make it very difficult for Markkanen to do anything but accept his $9MM qualifying offer.

“Chicago is playing this masterfully from no other perspective than a contract management standpoint,” a team capologist told Fischer. “It won’t do any favors relationship-wise, but they’re bleeding his market based on their tax situation, and nobody else can offer him any kind of money without them.”

As we wait to see what happens with Markkanen, it’s worth noting that the Hornets – previously rumored to be eyeing the forward – weren’t listed by Fischer as one of the teams in the hunt, and president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak told reporters today that the team is likely done with its “heavy lifting” this offseason (Twitter link via Rod Boone of SI.com).

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Sixers, Suns, Trail Blazers, Warriors, Celtics, and Knicks were among the teams that expressed interest in DeMar DeRozan before he reached a deal with the Bulls, per Fischer. However, New York agreed to sign Evan Fournier and most of the other teams would’ve had to figure out complicated sign-and-trade arrangements to accommodate DeRozan, who never really entertained the idea of signing for the mid-level exception, sources tell Fischer.
The Pelicans and Kings discussed the possibility of swapping Buddy Hield and Josh Hart (via sign-and-trade) as part of New Orleans’ trade with Memphis, Fischer writes. It’s unclear if anything along those lines is still being considered now that the Pelicans’ deal with the Grizzlies has been completed — base year compensation rules would complicate a one-for-one swap.
The Suns are weighing their options for their final open roster spot and have gauged the trade value of 2020 lottery pick Jalen Smith, sources tell Fischer.
The Raptors will meet with Goran Dragic‘s camp at Summer League in Las Vegas to further discuss the point guard’s situation, according to Fischer.
Zach LaVine has told Bulls staffers he’s committed to improving defensively next season, Fischer says.

Zach LaVine On Contract Situation: “I Just Want My Respect”

August 2nd, 2021 at 9:37am CST by Luke Adams

Bulls guard Zach LaVine is eligible for a contract extension this offseason as he enters the final season of a four-year, $78MM deal that has turned into a bargain for his team. Asked about his situation following Team USA’s Monday practice in Tokyo, LaVine suggested to reporters that he’d like to be rewarded for his All-Star caliber player, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

“I just want my respect, that’s the main thing,” LaVine said. “I outplayed my contract. I’ve been very loyal to Chicago. I like Chicago. I just want my respect. If that’s now or later, it’s something we’ve got to work out internally.”

Veteran extensions are generally based on the player’s previous salary. LaVine, who is earning $19.5MM this season, could get a 20% raise on that figure for a deal starting at $23.4MM, which would be worth nearly $105MM over four years. That likely won’t be enough to get something done.

However, as Windhorst notes, the Bulls are in a unique position due to their ability to create cap room this offseason. They could use a chunk of cap space to renegotiate LaVine’s 2021/22 salary, increasing his $19.5MM cap figure for next season and then offering an extension that features an additional 20% raise on that new salary. That would allow Chicago to offer LaVine a significantly more lucrative extension.

However, the Bulls’ cap flexibility is somewhat limited and the team is focused on adding a point guard in free agency. Landing a starting-caliber point guard and renegotiating LaVine’s contract would require the team to trim a substantial amount of salary from its books, including likely finding takers for Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky, losing Lauri Markkanen, and waiving-and-stretching Al-Farouq Aminu‘s expiring contract.

We’ll have to see how the Bulls’ offseason plays out. If the team determines that a renegotiation of LaVine’s deal isn’t the best use of its cap space or if he wants to wait on an extension, Chicago would have his full Bird rights when he reaches free agency in 2022 and could offer him more years and more money than any rival suitor.

Trade Rumors: Rubio, Ball, Knicks, Wizards, Simmons

July 29th, 2021 at 1:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ricky Rubio is busy playing the point for Spain in the Olympics but a number of NBA teams are doing due diligence on a potential trade for the veteran point man, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets. The Celtics, Clippers and Lakers are keeping tabs on the Timberwolves guard. Rubio has a $17.8MM expiring contract for next season.

We have more trade chatter from around the league:

The Pelicans and Pacers discussed a Lonzo Ball deal, Ian Begley of SNY.TV reports, though it’s unknown if those talks ever reached an advanced level. Ball will be a free agent, so a deal would only be possible via sign-and-trade.
In the same piece, Begley writes that the Knicks plan to maintain enough cap flexibility to pursue top free agents in 2022, a class that could include Zach LaVine and Bradley Beal.
The Wizards have received calls on their best young players, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington reports. Those players are presumably Rui Hachimura, Daniel Gafford and Deni Avdija. The front office could be motivated to move one or more of those players to appease Beal in a win-now scenario.
There’s been plenty of speculation about a potential Ben Simmons trade. The latest from Mark Medina of USA Today (Twitter link) is that the Sixers are looking either for an All-Star talent in return or a starting-caliber player along with multiple draft picks.