5 Reactions To ESPN’s Chicago Bulls Top Talented Star Who Announced Shock Departure Today

Zach LaVine, a guard with the Chicago Bulls, has gained attention from the NBA media. On July 26, Marc Stein of The Stein Line described it as the “NBA’s longest-running active trade saga” in light of free agency, which has mainly been quiet.

The Bulls are well-positioned to at least begin the 2024–25 season with LaVine on the roster thanks to his lackluster trade market. According to a report by ESPN’s Jamal Collier, at least one insider inside the company believes LaVine is the issue.

The source claimed that “he’s never won, he’s done it his way the whole way and never won,” Collier wrote on July 30. “He will follow instructions if he is motivated to win. And one approach to counter his motivation to not be here is to come, comply, and be himself.

ESPN commentator and 2008 NBA champion Kendrick Perkins took exception with the comments.

“Who is the source here? That is the first thing I need to inquire about. Because they’re not in line,” Perkins stated on “NBA Today” on August 1. “Did the source check their reflection in the mirror? Do they maintain accountability with the Bulls organization?

“Zach LaVine is being blamed, but what recent actions has the Bulls front staff taken? In free agency, did they succeed? No. With the draft selections, did they win? No. Billy Donovan’s contract was extended. How did he do it? Zach LaVine is a two-time All-Star and an Olympic gold winner who plays for the Bulls. Additionally, he has occasionally been playing with a fractured foot and a knee injury.

Stacey King, a former Bulls champion, asserted that Donovan, not his teammates, is the source of LaVine’s problems.