Chicago Bulls: 3 reasons Zach LaVine’s contract is a good deal

3. Need to develop talent within

LaVine’s four-year deal worth $19.6 million a year may seem hefty, but Chicago still has $45 million in cap space next year to lure a big free agent.

Here’s the problem: The only big-name free agents the Bulls have plucked off the market over the past decade were past-their-primes Pau Gasol and Dwyane Wade, as well as Carlos Boozer. None of the three significantly shifted the franchise’s fortunes.

Chicago’s a big-market team, but curiously struggles to wrangle big-name free agents. Maybe NBA stars find the brutally cold winters unappealing. Maybe the beautiful blue-collar city lacks pizzazz. Really all of this is just speculation.

However, it’s not speculation to say that the league’s best teams drafted their talent or traded for underrated prospects. The San Antonio Spurs won four championships this century after drafting their core. The Golden State Warriors built a dynasty on three excellent drafts in which the front office snagged Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. The Houston Rockets traded for an unproven James Harden, and we all recognize the work the Oklahoma City Thunder did through the draft.

The point being, franchises excel by identifying young talent and developing it, not necessarily by throwing money at a matured superstar. The Bulls appear to have identified LaVine as a potentially very good player. In an ideal world, he might be the Eastern Conference’s version of Devin Booker.

So with Kris Dunn, Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr. they rebuild. It’s time for the front office to trust its instincts and its ability to develop talent. Maybe then, they can finally lure a major free agents once they are on the cusp of a title run.