Zach LaVine and the Bulls Are “Not Seeing Eye-to-Eye” as the Team Continues to Crater

*Joker voice*

And. Here. We. Go.

After an 11-18 start to the regular season — and a disastrous 150-126 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night — the report we’ve all been waiting for has arrived. The Athletic’s Shams Charania dropped an inside look at the Chicago Bulls’ tumultuous start to the season, which included plenty of commentary about Zach LaVine.

According to Charania, the Bulls have had “multiple” team meetings to try to right the ship, which … yikes. It’s early for that. Some of those meetings have even included one-on-one sit-downs between LaVine and co-All-Star DeMar DeRozan. Sources told The Athletic that the two continue to have a strong personal relationship, but it remains abundantly clear that this hasn’t led to any real progress as on-court running mates.

And all of that leads directly into Charania’s biggest news: the organization and their recently-maxed player, LaVine, aren’t on the same page behind the scenes.

Even more, multiple league sources and sources close to the organization say LaVine and the Bulls are not seeing eye-to-eye. Over the past few weeks, there’s been a palpable feeling across various parts of the franchise of a disconnect over LaVine’s situation in Chicago. All of this has been happening while LaVine is in the first season of a five-year, $215 million maximum deal that was signed this summer.

To be honest, I have no idea of what this could entail. And it sure doesn’t help that this report doesn’t go on to share specifics. If anything, this feels like something Klutch Sports, LaVine’s agency, may have thrown against the wall to ensure the front office continues producing a winning product around one of its clients.

Not to mention, LaVine just signed the largest contract in franchise history. The Bulls couldn’t have been more obvious about their intentions to build around him, so what has created a divide between the two parties just a couple of months into his new deal? Is it the style of play? Is it the lack of results? Is it the coaching situation?

LaVine did provide quotes to The Athletic, but those pretty much only made things more confusing:

“Obviously if we’re not winning games, not everybody’s going to be happy. It’s not going to look as good as it was before,” LaVine said. “It’s all glitter and show when you’re winning games. But when you’re losing games and you’re trying to do the same things it’s turmoil. Everybody has their right to their own opinion. For me, I keep my head down. I work on my game and try to help my team. I help try to lead the team. That’s where I stand. I just try to take it day by day and evaluate how we’re doing.”

Let’s also not forget that LaVine has been a part of the Bulls’ problems. He’s putting together one of his least impactful and efficient seasons on the offensive end since coming off his ACL injury in 2017-18. While a lot of that has felt like shaking off the rust of yet another offseason procedure, perhaps this is LaVine and Klutch telling us that they believe it’s something else.

If one thing is for sure, it’s that there are plenty of problems with this roster. Whether it be the lack of shooting, a primary playmaker, rim protection, or effort, there are many areas where this group can improve. LaVine might recognize as much, raising concerns about how well this front office can correct course. Still, I’d prefer he’d be part of the solution rather than someone who only identifies the problem.

Speaking of which, that’s what we have to watch out for now. A story like this is a big freakin’ deal. While it can provide the kind of public pressure needed to get an organization to start fixing things, it can also be the precursor for *a lot* more chaos. What if this is the major spark that lights a slew of trades over the next couple of months? And what if one of those trades includes Zach LaVine?

At this point, everything has to be on the table for the Bulls, right?

More on the possible storm of trade rumors coming below …

written by

Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

more bulls news

Enhanced Box Score: Bulls 125, Pacers 99 – March 27, 2024

I got to be honest, I'm even more upset about the Washington Wizards' loss. If the Chicago Bulls played like they did tonight, they would have beaten that depleted Wizards team by 40. This was a locked-in group from the...

Javonte Green Makes Bulls Return… Immediately Does Awesome Stuff

Javonte Green has officially made his Chicago Bulls debut ... again. The 30-year-old signed with the organization via a 10-day hardship deal on March 22. Injuries to Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, and Julian Phillips paved the way for...

WATCH: Alex Caruso Snatches Rookie Ben Sheppard’s Ankles

Alex Caruso will always be known for his defense capabilities, but he's showing a lot more than that this season. The veteran guard is averaging double-digit points for the first time in his career. A big part of that has...

Draymond Green Ejected Less Than 4 Minutes Into Game Against Orlando

Draymond Green was at it again on Wednesday night. Out East to take on the Orlando Magic, the Golden State Warriors watched Paolo Banchero bulldoze Andrew Wiggins to the rim early in the first quarter. As Banchero high-fived his teammates...

Pre-Gamin’: Indiana Pacers at Chicago Bulls (7:00 CT), Projected Lineups, How to Watch, More

Everything was awful on Tuesday. Be Better. https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1772971933161705610?s=20 Game Info Indiana Pacers (41-32) at Chicago Bulls (34-38) – 7:00 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago (TV) and 670 The Score (Radio) Projected Starting Lineups Chicago Bulls Coby White Alex Caruso Ayo Dosunmu...

Around the Association: Caitlin Clark Gets Big(3) Offer, Knicks Getting Help, Lakers OT Thriller, More

It's hard to believe we have less than three weeks remaining in the NBA's regular season, and we should be in for some real drama down the stretch. The Knicks have plenty to play for in their remaining 11 games...

WHOA: NCAA Looking to Ban Prop Betting on All College Athletes

As the NCAA men's basketball tournament gears up for the Sweet Sixteen, the college sports world received some big news. On Wednesday morning, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that NCAA president Charlie Baker wants to officially ban prop betting on college...

NBA Playoffs Update: Several Races Are Still Undecided

The NBA season is winding down. We have some awesome races for the NBA Playoffs to keep an eye on in the final 2+ weeks of the season. The top seed in the West is still up for grabs in...

Alex Caruso’s Status in Question for Matchup with Pacers

The Chicago Bulls might be without their best defensive player against the best offensive team in the NBA. Not great! The latest injury report lists Alex Caruso as "questionable" for Wednesday night's meeting with the Indiana Pacers. Caruso has been...

Needing a Win, One More with the Pacers, Alex Caruso Guards Everyone, and Other Bulls Bullets

*scratches long, disheveled beard and grabs a piece of chalk* *crosses out another game on the cave wall* *sits back on ground, grabs knees, rocks back and forth* Nine more games. Nine more games. Nine more games. Look, I want...

Latest News

Orioles vs. Angels Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Baltimore Orioles begin their season as -192 favorites in a home tilt against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday at 3:05 PM ET, live on BSW.Baltimore's Corbin Burnes and Los Angeles' Patrick Sandoval have been named the starters for...

Wyoming vs South Dakota Women’s College Basketball Odds and Prediction – March 29

The South Dakota Coyotes (23-12) will try to break a three-game road losing streak when they square off against the Wyoming Cowgirls (17-14) on March 29, 2024 at Arena-Auditorium.Wyoming vs. South Dakota NCAA Game InfoDate: Friday, March 29, 2024Time: 8:30...

Minnesota vs North Dakota State Women’s College Basketball Odds and Prediction – March 29

The Minnesota Golden Gophers (17-15) face the North Dakota State Bison (22-11) on March 29, 2024.Minnesota vs. North Dakota State NCAA Game InfoDate: Friday, March 29, 2024Time: 8:00 PM ETWhere: Minneapolis, MinnesotaVenue: Williams ArenaLast Game For Each TeamMinnesota enters this...

Rays vs. Blue Jays Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

The Tampa Bay Rays (0-0) and the Toronto Blue Jays (0-0) face off on Thursday at Tropicana Field for Opening Day. First pitch is at 4:10 PM ET.The Rays will call on Zach Eflin versus the Blue Jays and Jose...

Dodgers vs. Cardinals Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

The Los Angeles Dodgers (1-1) and the St. Louis Cardinals (0-0) face off at Dodger Stadium on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET, starting a four-game series.The Dodgers will look to Tyler Glasnow versus the Cardinals and Miles Mikolas.Dodgers vs. Cardinals...

Padres vs. Giants Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

The San Francisco Giants (0-0) begin a four-game series against the San Diego Padres (1-1) on Thursday at PETCO Park. First pitch is at 4:10 PM.The Padres will look to Yu Darvish versus the Giants and Logan Webb.Padres vs. Giants...

Astros vs. Yankees Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

The Houston Astros (0-0) and the New York Yankees (0-0) face off on Thursday at Minute Maid Park for Opening Day. First pitch is at 4:10 PM ET.The Astros will call on Framber Valdez against the Yankees and Nestor Cortes...

Reds vs. Nationals Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

The Cincinnati Reds (0-0) and the Washington Nationals (0-0) face off on Thursday at Great American Ball Park for Opening Day. First pitch is at 4:10 PM ET.The Reds will call on Frankie Montas against the Nationals and Josiah Gray.Reds...

Marlins vs. Pirates Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

The Miami Marlins (0-0) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (0-0) match up on Thursday at LoanDepot park for Opening Day. First pitch is at 4:10 PM ET.The Marlins will look to Jesus Luzardo versus the Pirates and Mitch Keller.Marlins vs. Pirates...

Twins vs. Royals Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

The Kansas City Royals (0-0) host the Minnesota Twins (0-0) in an Opening Day contest at 4:10 PM ET on Thursday.The Twins will call on Pablo Lopez versus the Royals and Cole Ragans.Twins vs. Royals Pitcher Matchup and Game InfoWhen:...

more bulls news