Chicago Bulls: Complete 2018 offseason grades

Bulls match Sacramento Kings’ offer to retain Zach LaVine

Although Zach LaVine was working his way back from an ACL injury, he was considered the centerpiece of the trade that sent three-time All-Star Jimmy Butler to the Twin Cities. With that in mind, the Bulls took a very cautious approach as to when LaVine would make his debut in a Bulls uniform.

That moment came in January, with LaVine scoring 32 points in his first two games of the season, connecting on 12 of his 21 shot attempts, including 5-for-8 from deep. While there were nights when he played well, there were also times in which he struggled.

All in all, LaVine played in 24 games, posting averages of 16.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists on shooting splits of .383/.341/.813. While he did display the athleticism the Bulls were excited about when they acquired him, LaVine’s play can be described as inconsistent at best. Then again, this was expected after being away from the court for nearly a year.

In spite of the small sample size of games he played, the Sacramento Kings extended an offer sheet to the fourth-year guard for four years and $78 million. Eventually, the Bulls decided to match the offer, thus keeping their Big 3 intact.

To be honest, this price tag may be a bit steep for someone who played less than a third of the season and has a ways to go before he can be labeled as a decent defender. On the other hand, it was a foregone conclusion that that the Bulls were going to match any offer LaVine got or risk allowing the centerpiece of last year’s draft-night trade walk.

Grade: B-