KEY POINTS

  • Zach LaVine has been having a terrific season with the Chicago Bulls
  • The Bulls are likely to consider making LaVine a supermax player if he makes the All-NBA, an insider said
  • A huge increase in the versatile scorer's salary next season is imminent

Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine could be looking at a huge paycheck in the future.

Fans may have been witnessing arguably the best of LaVine with the Bulls as he shared the spotlight with DeMar DeRozan this season. The 26-year-old is playing his fourth consecutive 20-plus-point campaign, and the idea of LaVine becoming supermax eligible is now turning into a possibility.

However, award-winning NBA insider Brian Windhorst sees it “potentially” happening only if LaVine manages to make it to any of the All-NBA teams at the end of the current season.

“A guy that will be interesting this summer, who could be supermax eligible, we don't know for sure, is Zach LaVine,” Windhorst recently said on ESPN’s “The Hoop Collective.” “Typically if you’ve been traded, you lose your supermax eligibility. For example Anthony Davis. [He] signed a big contract with the Lakers last year, but he was not supermax eligible because he was traded. But if you were traded during your rookie contract as Zach LaVine was from Minnesota to Chicago, you retain that eligibility.”

“So Zach LaVine is supermax, potentially, eligible,” he pointed out. “[If he gets to] make one of the all NBA teams, he’s got a decent shot.”

Zach LaVine
Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls handles the ball in the second half against Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on January 01, 2022 in Washington, DC. Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images

Windhorst’s co-host, ESPN NBA journalist Tim Bontemps, on the other hand, weighed in on LaVine’s possible pay bump next season. As it stands, the versatile scorer is earning an annual average of $19.5 million, according to Spotrac.

Based on Bontemps’ prediction, the Bulls might hand LaVine a good $50 million or $60 million increase, given he makes the All-NBA team.

“If Zach LaVine makes third team all NBA, he can make $50-$60 million dollars more over the life of the deal than if he doesn't. That [is] sort of like the spot the Bulls are in. The Bulls are having this great season, everything is going well. They clearly want Zach LaVine to stay,” he said.

Windhorst then chimed in and shared another interesting insight, stating that even if LaVine doesn’t become a supermax player, the Bulls are still likely to give him an “extra $30 million” in his next contract.

“Instead of getting an extra $70 million, he might get an extra $30 million,” he analyzed. “It’s like supermax C [deal].”

LaVine has been a major force in the Bulls’ offensive arsenal this season. He is the second-best scorer on the team, averaging 24.9 points per outing.

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