The Chicago Bulls remain confident that their offer to Zach LaVine of a five-year, nearly $215 million contract will eventually be agreed upon.
LaVine was not expected to make a decision on the opening night of free agency.
LaVine has become an All-Star player since the Bulls allowed him to test restricted free agency and sign a four-year, $78 million offer sheet with the Sacramento Kings that they eventually matched.
Andre Drummond has agreed to sign with the Chicago Bulls on a two-year, $6.6 million deal. The second year of the deal is a player option.
Drummond spent last season with the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.
The Bulls finished last season with Tristan Thompson as their backup center behind Nikola Vucevic.
Zach LaVine will meet with the Chicago Bulls where they will present him an offer.
LaVine is not likely to make a decision by the end of the opening night of free agency.
LaVine is expected to receive multiple max offers in his first unrestricted free agency.
While P.J. Tucker has been strongly linked to the Philadelphia 76ers, there are several other teams planning on pursuing him when free agency opens.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls also plan to pursue Tucker at the full mid-level or the taxpayer mid-level.
Tucker is not expected to re-sign with the Miami Heat.
We say it every summer, but this year’s NBA free agency has the potential to be one of the wildest in recent memory. Though Kyrie Irving’s decision to opt into the final year of his contract with the Brooklyn Nets — taking him off the board as the league’s most coveted free agent — there’s still a chance he could be on the move if GM Sean Marks wants to cut his losses. In typical NBA fashion, a trade could dictate how everything else plays out.
For instance, what happens if Jaylen Brown get dealt? Or Kevin Durant?
There’s plenty of intrigue with this year’s free agency, which begins on Thursday, June 30, at 6 p.m. ET. We’ve already heard rumors of the first domino falling, with John Wall expected to be bought out by the Houston Rockets and then sign with the LA Clippers.
Sports betting apps see Wall’s addition — and the impending return of a healthy Kawhi Leonard — as big enough news to vault the Clippers near the top of the NBA title odds list. With Wall’s signing and the expectation that Irving stays, here’s where oddsmakers have pegged title favorites:
| Team | Odds |
| Warriors | +500 |
| Clippers | +600 |
| Celtics | +650 |
| Bucks | +700 |
| Nets | +850 |
| Suns | +1000 |
| Mavs | +1400 |
| Lakers | +1400 |
| Grizzlies | +1400 |
| Heat | +1400 |
| 76ers | +1400 |
Odds via BetMGM; check out the BetMGM bonus code REALGM for a $1,000 risk-free bet
Though we don’t expect Irving, Kevin Durant or James Harden to be swapping uniforms on Thursday, there are some big names who should make headlines shortly after the clock strikes 6 p.m.
We expect that the Bulls (+2500 title odds) will retain Zach LaVine with a five-year maximum deal, but the Phoenix Suns (+1000) seem reluctant to pay former top pick Deandre Ayton. Jalen Brunson may have priced himself out of Dallas (+1400) with a strong postseason, while the Hornets (+10000) will need to decide what Miles Bridges is worth as they rebuild around LaMelo Ball.
In terms of what moves could swing title odds most, the Suns would likely see a dip if Ayton leaves — but one would expect GM James Jones to have a backup plan to replace his 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds. Arizona sports betting apps might see a spike in activity, depending on how things play out.
It would sting for the Mavericks to lose Brunson after he played alongside Luka Doncic to get Dallas to the Western Conference Finals, but they also traded for Christian Wood and drafted Jaden Hardy a week ago. They aren’t going anywhere as long as No. 77 is upright.
The Warriors are the defending champs and seem intent on running it back. Both Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II are expected to re-sign with Golden State when free agency begins, meaning Steve Kerr’s group will return seven of its top eight rotation players from last year’s title squad.
Other contenders could make giant splashes that we’re not sure exist right now, but it’ll be tough for any group to surpass the Warriors as title favorites.
More trade rumors abound as we near the start of free agency, and the latest involves one of the top young guards in the league. Dejounte Murray could be heading to Atlanta, where he’d form an intriguing — and stellar — backcourt duo with Trae Young.
The Hawks (+6600) struggled last season, but adding Murray, who finished second in the Most Improved Players voting behind Ja Morant, would give them the potential to earn a top-4 seed in the East. The Spurs feel content to rebuild, and it could be the Hawks who wind up as big winners because of it.
The Lakers are just +1400 to win next year’s NBA title, an almost unthinkable set of odds considering they’ll once again be led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But last year’s injury-riddled, Russ Westbrook-tanking season didn’t leave oddsmakers any choice. T
here was a thought that Irving would sign for the Mid-Level Exception in LA, but that’s no longer an option. Instead, the Lakers will need to get creative to fill some serious holes — and decide what to do with Westbrook — without much cap flexibility.
Rob Pelinka has built a title roster before, but this might be asking a lot.
Mark Strotman
The Chicago Bulls remain hopeful Zach LaVine will re-sign with them during his free agency.
Arturas Karnisovas has been consistent in saying publicly the organization wants to keep LaVine. And he did it again on Monday.
"We hope Zach is here for a long time, and nothing changed," Karnisovas said.
LaVine's four-year, $78 million contract is up and will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time of his career. LaVine signed that offer sheet as a restricted free agent, which was matched by the Bulls.
The Bulls can offer a max contract worth about $212 million. The most he can get from another team is approximately $157 million over four years.
The Chicago Bulls signed Justin Lewis to a two-way deal, reported Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Lewis averaged 16.8 points and 7.9 rebounds for Marquette last season.
Several teams remain interested in EuroLeague MVP point guard Vasilije Micic, sources told Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
The Nuggets' interest in Micic is reportedly driven by Nikola Jokic, with the Spurs, Bucks, and Bulls also linked with the player.
The Nuggets are also said to be receiving trade interest for current point guard Monte Morris.
The Thunder currently hold the 28-year-old's rights.
Nic Batum declined his $3.3 million player option with the Los Angeles Clippers to become a free agent.
While Batum is widely expected to re-sign with the Clippers on a two-year deal, the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz will have strong interest in signing him.
Batum has played a key role with the Clippers since joining the team before the 20-21 season.
Point guard Vasilije Micic is reportedly drawing trade interest from several playoff teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls, sources told Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
The 28-year-old's rights are currently held by the Thunder.
Micic lead Anadolu Efes to a EuroLeague title in the 2020-21 season, and was named the EuroLeague MVP.
Micic was originally drafted in the second round by the Sixers in 2014.
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