While Zach LaVine missed the Chicago Bulls’ previous three contests due to personal reasons, tonight will officially mark the first game without him on the roster since April 28. 2017.
The man of the hour finally said his goodbyes on Tuesday morning.
- The Bulls bid him an emotional farewell on Monday after announcing the deal, promptly posting a tribute video that highlighted some of LaVine’s most memorable moments. Of course, this included his two All-Star bids, but fans were also reminded of his many ridiculous scoring nights. His game-winning sequence against Charlotte is one of the craziest Bulls moments of the last decade, while his 39-point effort in the first half against Atlanta put him alongside some elite company. LaVine’s knack for the jaw-dropping jams also made watching a lot of bad basketball over the years worth it.
One of the most electrifying players to put on a Bulls uniform.
Thank you for representing Chicago on and off the court, @ZachLaVine ❤️ pic.twitter.com/P322NAo1DX— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 3, 2025
- I just hope Bulls fans didn’t take LaVine’s shotmaking prowess for granted. Yes, I know the team-wide success left a lot to be desired, but there are going to be some VERY ugly nights ahead on the offensive end. As good as Coby White is at scoring the ball, it’s going to be a while before the Bulls find someone as skillful as LaVine. Speaking of which, this montage of him touching nothing but net is so satisfying …
- I’m going to be keeping a close eye on the Kings from here on out. While I’m fascinated to see how Sacramento tries to navigate the DeRozan-LaVine duo, I also genuinely want the best for both of those players. They each cared deeply about suiting up for the Bulls organization and left differing, yet impactful marks. Chicago knows better than anyone how talented they both are, and they deserve a chance to play truly meaningful basketball. Unfortunately, I’m not 100 percent sure that will happen in Sacramento, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed for them.
- Coby White is officially the longest-tenured Bulls, and I’m sure that has to be a strange feeling. He’s always had LaVine in the locker room throughout his NBA career, which made it not the least bit shocking that he appeared to take the news pretty hard. He shared with Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune that players found out when they landed in Chicago following their loss in Detroit.
- White also sounds ready for anything as Thursday’s deadline arrives. While he hasn’t been a mainstay in rumors over the last few weeks, practically everything appears to be on the table for Arturas Karnisovas and this front office. Not to mention, White was name-dropped on Monday as a player who could be on the move. If one thing is for sure, however, he wants to stay in Chicago. The guard also shared with Poe that he loves the city and recently bought a home.
- LET THE MATAS BUZELIS RENAISSANCE BEGIN! While the Bulls have only made one move, I think it’s safe to say that move signified a drastic change in direction. Prioritizing draft position and unleashing young talent will likely be the name of the game for Chicago over the next few months. We’ve already seen Buzelis’ minutes increase in recent weeks, as he’s fully adopted the team’s sixth-man role. But could he be in the starting lineup sooner than later?
- For what it’s worth, Buzelis has averaged 11.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks over the last four games. He has remained ahead of Patrick Williams in the rotation and now consistently clocking 20+ minutes a night. Even more encouraging โ albeit a small sample size โ he is shooting 60.7 percent from the field and has gone a combined 7-14 from long range over this stretch. He has looked a lot more comfortable finding his spots in the flow of the offense, and he also hasn’t been afraid to mix in some drives off the dribble!
- I would expect tonight’s game to be a weird one. The vibes inside the Bulls’ locker room can’t be particularly great after Sunday’s news, especially since it signifies that several more players could be on the move. Miami has also played some decent basketball over the last few games, beating both the Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs. Tyler Herro made his first-ever All-Star appearance this season, and this Bulls perimeter defense presents him with another opportunity to put up a massive scoring.
- I was curious to see if the Bulls might sit Nikola Vucevic out as the deadline looms. I still think they could announce that in the coming hours, but the questionable injury status of Jalen Smith also makes that tough. Perhaps we’ll instead see it tomorrow on the backend of this back-to-back. If one thing is for sure, the Bulls will want to be extra careful with both him and Lonzo Ball, who have reportedly been generating plenty of trade interest.
- Matt Nagy kept his advice for new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson pretty simple.
- Obsessive Alex Bregman watch continues! Make sure you’re following along at BN Cubs.
ELSEWHERE AT BN: Check Out BN Fantasy | Subscribe to The BN Newsletter