Michael Reinsdorf – Syndication Server

Zach LaVine “very much in play” entering free agency

K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago joined the Mully & Haugh Show on Tuesday morning to discuss LaVine’s future. “The safe bet is still that Zach will return (to Chicago),” Johnson said. He offered that with a caveat though. “I’m just reporting what I was hearing at the Combine – and that is multiple people connected to other teams, agents, etc., the chatter at that Combine, the representation of that chatter is that Zach is very much in play,” Johnson said. “Now that said, the Bulls are still very confident in their ability to re-sign Zach LaVine. Michael Reinsdorf has said it. Arturas Karnisovas has said it. They still have the power to pay him more than any other franchise.”

Source: Audacy

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Our latest Offseason Preview on @spotrac features the Chicago Bulls! They were back last season…until injuries hit. Chicago limped into the playoffs before an offseason where everything centers around Zach LaVine. And finding more depth. Read more here:
spotrac.com/research/nba/2… – 11:24 AM

Sean Highkin @highkin
Wrote two weeks ago about why LaVine to Portland is highly unlikely from both sides and I still believe that to be the case. Don’t think he’s who they’d be looking at even if they did somehow clear the cap space bleacherreport.com/articles/10035… – 10:46 AM

Jake Fischer @JakeLFischer
The early word on Deandre Ayton’s restricted free agency, Atlanta’s big offseason plans, and just how available Zach LaVine will be on the open market, at @BR_NBA: bleacherreport.com/articles/10036… – 9:55 AM

Zach LaVine @ZachLaVine
😳😳😳….. damn wiggs – 11:18 PM

More on this storyline

“The fact that he’s going to look at other teams legitimately is serious,” Johnson said. “I think the fact that other teams are going to make an aggressive bid to get him is serious. And I think the fact that the Bulls are very confident that they’re going to retain him are all serious, are all simultaneously (true). It’s going to be a fascinating free agency in July.” -via Audacy / May 24, 2022

Zach LaVine — who starred at UCLA before getting drafted #13 overall in 2014 — hit up Craig’s in West Hollywood with his wife, Hunter … and after chowing down on some grub, the cameras had to ask him about his future. The 2-time Slam Dunk champ initially played it cool … explaining his appearance shouldn’t be a big deal, considering he lives in L.A. When asked to give a message to Laker Nation, LaVine’s response is enough to give fans a glimmer of hope. “I’ve always been a big fan,” he said as he hopped in his Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon. -via Twitter / May 24, 2022

Daniel Greenberg: The Chicago Bulls are very confident that they can re-sign Zach LaVine, per @KC Johnson on @mullyhaugh. -via Twitter / May 24, 2022

Still, there is speculation from rival …

Still, there is speculation from rival executives whether or not the Bulls will extend LaVine the full maximum contract of five years and roughly $212 million. The public stances of Reinsdorf and Karnišovas suggest otherwise.

Michael Reinsdorf surprised by Arturas Karnisovas’ quick turnaround of Bulls

After years of front-office and coaching disarray, Chicago Bulls president and chief operating officer Michael Reinsdorf hired Arturas Karnisovas in April 2020 to reshape his basketball operations and restore playoff contention. So far, the results are remarkable. Years of organizational missteps and mistrust faded fast, replaced with a fully functional first-place franchise. “When we hired Arturas, I was confident that he would help turn things around, but I can’t say I thought it would be this quickly,” Reinsdorf told ESPN. “There are no issues. There’s no drama. Just everyone wanting to get to the next level. It’s a good feeling.”

The Bulls have missed the playoffs in …

The Bulls have missed the playoffs in six of the past seven years, but that’s likely to change this spring. Reinsdorf believes the decision to hire Karnisovas amid the league’s shutdown delivered him an ability to expedite the organizational rebuild. “We hired Arturas at the beginning of COVID, when a lot of teams were in a holding pattern,” Reinsdorf told ESPN. “A lot of times, people come and clean house. He took the time to get to know people in our organization.”

Karnisovas and Donovan are among the …

Karnisovas and Donovan are among the frontrunners for Executive and Coach of the Year awards. Together, Reinsdorf has watched something within the Bulls that had been missing for years: The building of trust and relationships. Donovan’s been long considered peerless in his ability to connect with players and that’s turned into an immense part of All-Star guard Zach LaVine’s evolution in Chicago.

“Arturas and Billy really took the time …

“Arturas and Billy really took the time to get to know Zach LaVine, and knew that he wanted to win,” Reinsdorf told ESPN. “Zach had been on some bad teams, and just like it wasn’t Devin Booker’s fault in Phoenix for those years, it wasn’t Zach’s fault here. We needed to get him help. Billy, Arturas and (general manager) Marc Eversley spend a lot of time with our players. These aren’t assets, these are people. But especially with Zach, they took time to understand what he is all about. It was easy for people on the outside to say, “Oh, he’s just a scorer and he doesn’t care.’ But these knew better about Zach, because they spend time and get beyond the basketball with him.”

Internally, Bulls president and chief …

Internally, Bulls president and chief operating officer Michael Reinsdorf has introduced paid time off annually for Juneteenth, which celebrates Union forces, led by Major General Gordon Granger, arriving in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 and proclaiming all slaves in the state free by executive decree. Though the Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, it wasn’t until the Union’s victory in the Civil War that it was enforced in states once under Confederate control — Texas being the last. The Bulls also plan to feature paid time off for each future Election days.

Michael Reinsdorf: “It is disappointing …

Michael Reinsdorf: “It is disappointing that we will not return to play for the 2019-20 season, but ultimately this decision is about more than just one team. We are supportive of Commissioner Adam Silver and the outcome of the vote by the NBA Board of Governors. We thank Adam and his team for their thoughtful work in exploring all available options to come up with a solution that allows the NBA as a league to resume. They spent countless hours having open dialogue with leaders and experts across various industries, as well as team executives, listening and educating themselves to ensure the NBA made the best, safest decision for the league and our players during these unprecedented times.”

Michael Reinsdorf: “We will now shift …

Michael Reinsdorf: “We will now shift our focus to continue to build our team under the new leadership of Arturas Karnisovas and our Basketball Operations Department with a focus on the Draft, free agency and offseason development. To our fans and the great city of Chicago: We thank you for your continued support. Keep moving forward with us as we prepare to return to the court for the 2020-21 season.”