Agent Rich Paul denies slander against Zach LaVine Originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich
The entire NBA knows the Chicago Bulls are trading two-time All-Star guard Zach LaVine. It’s a story that’s been brewing for months, if not years.
And the longer it goes on, the more likely it is that unrest will occur. People can be pointed at, accusations can be made, and information can leak that affects the characters.
It’s this dynamic that Rich Paul, LaVine’s agent and CEO of Klutch Sports Group, wanted to address forcefully on Thursday.
“I want to make this clear: This whole idea that Zach has been anything but professional in this situation is false. This kid has played through injury. He’s represented the franchise with class. A lot has happened during his time with the Bulls and he’s always taken the high road,” Paul said by phone. “Do all players get frustrated sometimes? Yes. But Zach has been the ultimate professional and he deserves better.
“The Bulls have business to attend to and we are letting them deal with it.”
That business has been on full display since July 2023. That’s when the Bulls held preliminary trade talks centered on LaVine with the Portland Trail Blazers when they still employed Damian Lillard and with the Philadelphia 76ers when they still employed James Harden. Other trade rumors involving LaVine also surfaced.
Just two years ago, LaVine’s relationship with the Bulls was in full swing. In July 2022, he signed a five-year, $215 million maximum contract, following his second All-Star nomination and first playoff appearance, and the Bulls’ first since 2017.
The future seemed limitless and, in LaVine’s mind, free from the distractions of trade rumors.
Instead, the Bulls endured two consecutive playoff-less seasons. And when LaVine and the Bulls got off to a rough start to the 2023-24 season, The Athletic reported that “there has been more openness” from both sides to exploring a trade.
While this was the first time LaVine opened the door to a change of scenery, he never requested a trade. He was focused on overcoming his and the Bulls’ slow start to the season and trying to resolve and treat the pain in his right foot that ultimately required season-ending surgery.
“We went to them and said, ‘We understand the business of basketball. If we keep playing this way and you guys start looking for changes, let’s work together,’” LaVine told NBC Sports Chicago midway through last season. “I never said I wanted to be traded.”
LaVine returned from his first extended absence due to his foot injury to help the Bulls to a 5-2 record in January. But the pain in his foot continued. LaVine and his agent sought outside medical opinions, which is common practice in the NBA.
When LaVine opted for season-ending surgery, the Bulls’ official team statement read: “After seeking additional medical input, in consultation with the Chicago Bulls medical and training staff, guard Zach LaVine and Klutch Sports Group have elected to perform surgery on LaVine’s right foot as the next step in his recovery process.”
This phrase, coupled with rumors that the Detroit Pistons were interested in signing LaVine, created a false narrative that LaVine opted for surgery rather than join the rebuilding Pistons. Multiple league sources at the time indicated that Pistons decision-makers were divided on signing LaVine and that the Bulls were not close to reaching a deal.
Speaking to a small group of reporters in Los Angeles in March, LaVine addressed the story that he opted for surgery instead of a trade to the Pistons.
“You never want to have surgery, but I came to the conclusion, especially from what the doctor was telling me, that the level of pain and this thing wasn’t going to heal on its own,” LaVine said at the time. “It’s a floating bone. It’s called a nonunion Jones fracture, which I was dealing with for a while. And once the doctor — I’m glad I was able to find him — told me I needed to have surgery as soon as possible, that was good to know.”
This is the second time LaVine has played through an injury. In 2021-22, he played through a knee injury that required an arthroscopic procedure (in a contract year) as the franchise headed toward its first playoff appearance since 2017. At the time, he consistently said he felt confident playing at 80 percent could still help the team.
LaVine has received plenty of criticism during his seven seasons with the Bulls, including for his work as the face of the franchise during a difficult rebuild from 2017-21. He has also seen plenty of good times, both personally and with teammates like Coby White, whom he praised as the NBA’s Most Improved Player last season.
But for some time now, the relationship has seemed to be heading for a divorce, and the longer he remains with the Bulls, the more the risk of trouble increases.
“I think we have a great relationship with Zach, a great relationship with his agent Rich Paul,” executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas said after the February trade deadline, when the Bulls were idle. “I think we always work together and I think he always thinks about the team. He tries to win and he tries to win when he’s healthy.”
LaVine is healthy now. He’s weeks past the estimated four-to-six-month recovery time following his foot surgery and is going through his usual offseason routine. Where he’ll play next season remains to be seen.
By signing Josh Giddey to play alongside White, the Bulls appear to be poised to build a backcourt for the future. The mutual understanding between Bulls management and LaVine’s statement that a change of scenery is best for all parties seems like the prudent course to take.
The Bulls have fielded more than 15 proposals to teams over the past few weeks. League sources said the Kings and Warriors were the most interested, though the latter have since made moves that likely point in a different direction.
Interested teams will likely want an additional asset to take on LaVine’s three-year, $138 million contract. The longer this situation takes to be resolved, the less value the Bulls could receive in return.
With the DeMar DeRozan situation unresolved, the Bulls have a lot to do. In an offseason that Karnišovas says is all about change, LaVine’s future is the most important.
