Zach LaVine is staying in Chicago.
The Bulls matched the Kings' offer sheet Sunday, retaining the star point guard for the next four seasons. LaVine was a restricted free agent, but the Bulls had the right of first refusal and matched the offer sheet.
Sacramento tried to snag LaVine out of Chicago just one season after he was traded to the Windy City, but the 23 year old averaged 16.7 points per game last season, and the Bulls wanted him to stay in town.
“We were excited last summer when we got a dynamic athlete in Zach LaVine through the trade, and we’re excited now that we get to keep him,” said John Paxson, Chicago Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations. “Zach showed a relentless work ethic in rehabbing his ACL injury to return to the court, and he has a visible passion for the game of basketball. We know that those attributes, along with his honed skills, will make him an impact player in this league for years to come. We’re thrilled to keep Zach on this Bulls team moving forward.”
After recovering from an ACL injury, LaVine made his Bulls debut on Jan. 13, 2018, vs. Detroit. He played in 24 games (24 starts) last season and led the team in scoring in eight games and had 11 outings of 20-plus points. He scored in double digits in 10 games in a row from Jan. 31 through March 2, and became the seventh player in NBA history to record at least 18 points, five rebounds and five assists in 20 minutes or less vs. Miami on Jan. 15.
Originally selected 13th overall by Minnesota in the 2014 NBA Draft, LaVine owns career averages of 14vpoints, 3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 28.7 minutes per game.
