In the opinion of LaVar Ball, Zach LaVine apparently no longer wants to play for the Chicago Bulls and could possibly move on to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ball spoke with Chicago media personality David Kaplan (at the 27:26 mark) about how LaVine’s stature with the Bulls since the arrival of DeMar DeRozan has diminished and why he will leave as a free agent.
“He’s gone, and I’m gonna tell you why,” Ball said. “Okay, it started off Zach LaVine, Zach LaVine, Zach LaVine. Okay, now you get hurt, a few things happen, and guess who’s doing all the big plays? All I hear is DeMar…DeMar, DeMar, DeMar. He don’t want to play second fiddle, and who don’t want to go to L.A.? He want to go back to the West Coast.”
This season, LaVine completed his fifth season with the Bulls and eighth overall in the NBA. During the regular season, he averaged 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
Regardless of who LaVine signs with during free agency, he’s likely to make much more than the $19.5 million he earned with the Bulls this season.
It’s possible that some people may conclude that the Los Angeles Clippers might also be another consideration for LaVine, considering that Ball referenced Los Angeles as a whole.
Ball’s son Lonzo plays for the Bulls, which offers him a unique insight into the possible departure of LaVine. Another son, LaMelo, plays for the Charlotte Hornets.
Of course, it’s debatable how accurate LaVar Ball will be in his conjecture, considering some of his outlandish statements in the past.
Some of those comments have been controversial in nature and caused havoc in their aftermath. The destination of any free agent are a guessing game every year, so for now, it’s best to take LaVar Ball’s remarks with a grain of salt.
