Arturas Karnisovas emphasizes the Chicago Bulls are a better team with Zach LaVine around

Chicago Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas shrugged off all the chatter about possibly moving All-Star guard Zach LaVine to another team, emphasizing the latter’s place in the franchise’s present and the future.

LaVine underwent surgery on his troublesome right foot on Thursday and is expected to be back sooner than the initial timeframe of four to six months. According to a report on NBC Sports Chicago, a source close to LaVine mentioned that the high-flying guard could return as quickly as three months and begin ramping up before training camp for the 2024-2025 season commences later this year.

What the future lies for LaVine and the Bulls

The question that needs clarity is what happens to LaVine when he returns to the lineup next season. Will the Bulls continue looking for a trade partner? Or will they keep the talented guard for the long haul?

However, some concerns remain about LaVine's fit within the Bulls' system and whether he can lead them to playoff success. Some critics argue that his one-way play may not translate well into the Bull’s team-oriented approach. Supporting that argument is that the Bulls did very well when LaVine missed the month of December due to an inflammation of his right foot. During that stretch, Chicago went 10-7 to climb back from an awful 5-14 start.

Despite that, Karnisovas believes LaVine remains an integral part of the Bulls’ puzzle.

"I think we have a great relationship with Zach and a great relationship with his representation in Rich Paul. I think we always work together. His thoughts are always about the team and he’s trying to win and he’s trying to win when he’s healthy," Karnisovas said.

"Unfortunately, now he’s going to have to wait until he’s healthy. But we’re better with Zach on the team."

Artūras Karnišovas: "We are better with Zach on our team."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 8, 2024

Unconcerned about trade talks he had with Detroit

The Bulls held conversations with the Detroit Pistons regarding a possible trade for LaVine, but that didn’t push through since Chicago reportedly wanted one of the Pistons’ young studs. When asked if this would impact the front office's relationship with LaVine, Karnisovas said he wasn’t concerned about that.

"I don’t have any concerns. I think Zach wants to win. Bottom line, we’re a better team with Zach on the team. It’s as simple as that," he said.

The #Bulls front office really screwed up this Zach LaVine situation.

- They gave him a massive $215M contract which seems tough to trade now

- They never fielded offers at the peak of his trade value. They waited until the value was on a steep decline.

- They dragged their… pic.twitter.com/6EkJvtE1AW
— Die-Hard Chicago Bulls Fans (@DieHardCBfans) February 4, 2024

What the future lies for LaVine and the Bulls

Unconcerned about trade talks he had with Detroit

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