No one is asking LaVine to rise to the …

No one is asking LaVine to rise to the stature of those two MVPs. But the Bulls hope LaVine can grow into the kind of star who can lead them back to the playoffs. After Thursday’s trade deadline, Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson reinforced the front office’s long-term belief in LaVine. “Zach has had an excellent year,” Paxson said. “From the time we’ve had him, we’ve all seen growth in him and confidence in him. And we put a lot on his shoulders. Zach is a very, very talented player.”