How Zach LaVine “Annoyed” the Bulls (& the Team He Wants to be Traded To)

It hasn't been a cozy marriage for the Chicago Bulls and Zach LaVine since he signed his max deal, five-year, $215 million contract in 2022. This past year, in particular, the tensions ran high, and while LaVine came into the past season "frustrated" with the Bulls, the team itself was perturbed and "annoyed" at LaVine.

According to Jamal Collier of ESPN, it all began in the summer of 2023, one year after LaVine signed his monster deal. The player was frustrated with the continued losing state of the franchise, while the Bulls, for their part, engaged in trade talk on the two-time All-Star. LaVine played along, and in fact, offered to work together with the team to find him a new home.

It was short of a full trade request, but it still irked (VP of basketball operations Arturas) Karnisovas, sources told ESPN, a slight perceived as LaVine not being committed to sticking with the team.
LaVine also annoyed the organization with his decision to have season-ending surgery in February.

Adding to the tensions between the two sides, "LaVine has also felt singled out during film sessions and feels like he has taken too much blame for the team's losing during his tenure," writes Collier.

So what happens next? There doesn't appear to be a lot of trade interest in LaVine around the league (none, really), due to his injury history and that albatross of a contract which still has three years and $138 million remaining.

But according to Hoops Wire, sources tell them that "LaVine 'would like to' be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers," while adding that the feeling is not mutual at all at this time.