The Bulls entered the season hoping they would be one of the stars of the national media spotlight.
When the biggest NBA news of the day on Tuesday — at least until Draymond Green tried to murder Rudy Gobert — turned into reports and speculation from across the internet that “NBA teams are exploring LaVine’s availability” and “ At the time, that wasn’t really what they were thinking about. “The Bulls and LaVine are increasingly open to exploring trades.”
However, when the Bulls host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, LaVine will assume his familiar role at shooting guard and be the last player on the floor before the game, while DeMar DeRozan will be absent.
No, DeRozan wasn’t traded; The Bulls will miss DeRozan due to personal reasons.
LaVine spoke to reporters Wednesday morning after the team’s practice and was asked to talk about his personal situation.
He says he’s ready for the next game and then everyone can read the rest of the game however they like. These numbers will continue for some time.
“If we need to talk about this (elsewhere, being traded) for once, you know… now is not the time to really talk about it. Tonight against the Orlando Magic, try to win,” LaVine said. “If something obvious happens later on, that will be when I talk about it.
“I’m frustrated we didn’t win,” LaVine admitted. “If you don’t get frustrated, that’s the problem. It’s frustrating when we’ve spent the last three or four years trying to do the right thing and we seem to be in the same place; we’re trying to get through this . We work on it every day. “We’re going to continue to do that. “
Although once rumors and speculation get to the stage where players have to respond and become a topic of conversation for a team that’s started as slowly as the Bulls are currently 4-7, that usually means something is going to happen.
Four or five wins in a row can change everything.
I remember when Hakeem Olajuwon said he would never play for the Houston Rockets again, I made a 26-team trade list just because there weren’t that many teams at the time . They then discussed it, and thanks to Michael Jordan’s interest in baseball, the Rockets ended up winning two NBA championships.
No, this isn’t a prediction either.
Rumors and speculation surrounding LaVine, such as a move, have persisted since the trade deadline earlier this year and into the summer. But there was no fire yet. As players like to say, this is part of the commercialization of the NBA and a large part of its appeal. There’s a lot of focus on the NFL offseason, but mostly it’s about the mock drafts that change every week even though nothing happens. There are things happening in the NBA like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard and James Harden being traded last year.
It would be almost an insult to DeRozan and LaVine if they didn’t do that.
This is basically life in the NBA.
So this week it’s LaVine, that’s not an indication that it will or won’t happen.
The Bulls didn’t say anything, it was just a corporate example.
In the NBA industry, to its credit, it is the players who have the most say.
LaVine is one of the most tolerant and cooperative players on the team. Since being involved in the Jimmy Butler trade in 2017, he has always been open to the media no matter what issues arise. It wasn’t easy being a part of the Bulls during that period, as his acquisition coincided with the Bulls dismantling their core and rebuilding. As a result, LaVine went on to play for three different coaches and two different management teams, along with changes in philosophy. And he performed very well. He was selected to the NBA All-Star team twice, was selected to the U.S. Men’s Basketball Olympic Team, and became one of the gold medal winners.
Since arriving with the Bulls, the 6-foot-5 LaVine has become one of the NBA’s most prolific scorers, averaging more than 25 points per game over the past six years and shooting 42 percent from three-point range in a single season. And he rarely misses a game. The 28-year-old LaVine negotiated a five-year maximum contract with the team. But during LaVine’s tenure, the Bulls made the playoffs and lost 4-1 to the Milwaukee Bucks in that series before LaVine needed knee surgery. Still, he’s one of the most explosive, highlight-reel dunkers in the NBA and quite possibly the player who has made the most complete recovery from a serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury.
LaVine also had an unexpected start, shooting about 41% overall but still averaging 21.9 points per game.
Then again, when things don’t go the way a team expected or hoped, the only inevitable thing is change.
Then there are the rumors and online discussions.
So, again, to his credit, LaVine didn’t run away from anything Wednesday, although one could argue his reactions were as elusive as he was at times on the court.
If he asks to be traded, LaVine said, “My camp (Klutch Sports, which also represents LeBron James) has been talking to them. It’s not that we don’t have a good relationship or a good space to talk. We understand the basketball business. . I’ve done more than most. People talk. I’ve been in trade negotiations for a long time, so I understand the situation. But once the news breaks, it’s a big deal. It’s not the first or last time that I name happens. As of now, I’m just happy to still put on this jersey, go out and compete and try to get this win tonight.
“It’s a combination of things, and if you’re in a losing situation or can’t win games, people get frustrated,” LaVine agreed. “From the players to the front office, the coaches… we’re not happy because we’re not winning. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s just the nature of the business. When you’re not in a winning environment, more things go Show up. I’ve had support in Chicago for a long time. I’ve been here seven years and I’ve never had support. Loved my time in Chicago. I’ve always loved being a part of the Bulls and that hasn’t changed .”
The burden, or perhaps more accurately the inequality, that LaVine faces with the Bulls is the debate over whether he’s good enough to lead the team to a championship. Of course, every star player would like to believe that this is the case. Although before Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan had a hard time. And then after Grant left in free agency, oh yeah, Dennis Rodman. We shouldn’t forget the return of Jack Haley.
Ironically, DeRozan, a multiple-time All-NBA selection, has never been asked that question.
But sometimes, as they say, you’re the bug, and sometimes you’re the windshield. This may not make sense, but a lot of things don’t always make sense.
“Do I believe that? Yeah, that’s why I’m here,” LaVine said when asked about being an Alpha. “They obviously gave me a contract to stay here long-term. Do I think we’re a championship team now? No, but it’s a work in progress. I think everyone, the players, the team goes through Ups and downs. We’re in a position where I think we just want to win. That’s what I want to do. This is a business. We deal with a lot more than what’s talked about in the media. Obviously, there’s a lot in the media Some news (Tuesday). But we’re adults. We’re a professional business. We know how to handle it. That’s why I have reps like Rich Paul. Obviously that’s who I camped with. They Talking to (executive vice president of basketball operations) Arturas (Karnišovas) and talking to them. My job is to go out and have fun. It’s that simple.”
And then, as we know, there’s still more to go on.
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