Zach LaVine, Bulls Expected to Agree to New Contract: 'Match Made to Move Forward'

All-Star guard Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls seem destined to agree to a new contract in the near future, according to a Bulls insider.

Appearing on the HoopsHype Podcast with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, NBC Sports Chicago's KC Johnson gave his take on LaVine's contract situation.

Johnson said those with knowledge of the situation on both sides have indicated to him that LaVine and the Bulls are a "match made to move forward together."

Because of that, Johnson suggested the two sides are likely to agree to a long-term contract extension at some point.

The 26-year-old LaVine is in the midst of his fifth season in Chicago, and his current contract is set to expire at the end of the season.

He is coming off a career year in 2020-21 that saw him average 27.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 3.4 three-pointers made per game, while shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from beyond the arc.

LaVine was named an All-Star for the first time and he was chosen for the gold medal-winning United States men's Olympic basketball team as well.

While there was some thought that Chicago not signing LaVine to an extension this past offseason meant it wasn't interested in him long term, Johnson suggested it had more to do with wanting to put more pieces around him.

By delaying the extension, the Bulls were able to acquire center Nikola Vucevic from the Orlando Magic last season, as well as guard DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball from the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans, respectively, during the offseason.

Johnson also noted that the Bulls likely wouldn't have traded so many draft assets to land those players if they didn't intend on keeping LaVine.

The Bulls are off to a 4-0 start this season, which likely puts even more pressure on the front office to keep the team together moving forward.

No team can offer LaVine more money than the Bulls with the supermax extension, and Johnson's comments suggest it is only a matter of time before that happens.