Chicago Bulls: 3 reasons to re-sign Zach LaVine

1. The best is yet to come

Following an injury that kept him on the shelf for 11 months, LaVine played reasonably well, posting averages of 16.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game on 38.3 percent shooting overall and 34.1 percent from beyond the arc.

No, the shooting efficiency was not great by any stretch of the imagination. On the flip side of the narrative, his scoring average was just two points per game less than his last year in Minnesota. Additionally, his rebounding numbers improved slightly and his assists numbers remained constant.

It is also important to remember that LaVine’s playing time was limited to 20 minutes per contest when he first returned. So the fact that his numbers were somewhat similar to what he did last season despite the fact that he played just 27.3 minutes per game, makes his production all the more impressive.

To recap, LaVine does need to improve his shooting numbers and his defensive game needs to improve as well. At the same time, his stats with the Bulls last season were nearly on par with what he did during his last season in the Twin Cities in a somewhat reduced role.

Now with a full offseason dedicated to honing his game rather than rehabbing an injured knee, conventional wisdom says that LaVine will be a better player next season.

Does he deserve a max contract at this point?

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Well, 24 games is hardly a large enough sample size of games to answer that question. In a tight market, Chicago has all the power in negotiations with its restricted free agent. However, if the Bulls are able to reach an agreement with LaVine that falls within their preferred $14-16 million range; they would be wise to do so.