7 years of sticking with the same team and all that’s left now is increasing tension between the franchise and their star guard. At first look, this might seem like another Klay Thompson episode. But no. This time, it’s another guy – Zach LaVine of the Bulls. The 29-year-old UCLA product has been at odds with the Chicago side for some time now. The drama between the two of them continues, with the Bulls front office opting for an aggressive stance of late.

And the latest in the series seems to be quite a wild dig at the 2x All-Star. Responding to comments made by LaVine on having shouldered enough blame on behalf of the org, an anonymous team source said, “He’s never won, he’s done it his way the whole way and never won. If he’s interested in winning, he’ll do what’s asked of him. And if he’s motivated to not be here, one way is to come, be compliant, and be who he is.” Well … damn! It almost sounds like one of those dialogues we would hear from those gangster movies.

Surprisingly, it was an ex-NBA champion who came forward in righteous indignation at the perceived slight in place of LaVine. Joining NBA Today, Kendrick Perkins put this anonymous source on the stand as ESPN studio anchor and analyst Christine Williamson, finished reading out the above words. “Well, who is this source? That’s the first question I have,” Perkins stated. So do we, Perk, so do we.

“What has the Bulls’ front office done lately? Did they win at free agency? No. Did they win with draft picks? No. Billy Donovan got a contract extension! What has Billy done? Zach LaVine in a Bulls uniform has been a 2x All-Star. And he’s been playing on a broken foot at times, on an injured knee [at other times],” Kendrick continued. In the 25 games that Zach played, before his season-ending surgery, he averaged just under 20 points while shooting above 45%, which isn’t the worst, considering the small sample set.

“[Despite it all] no accountability for the front office and the organization and you’re gonna put all of this blame on Zach LaVine? I just want to know who that source is. If you’re gonna say something, put your name behind it.”

So, what was the latest spark that provoked such a hostile response from Chicago?

The Zach LaVine-Bulls drama reached a boiling point with the trade talks

Hilariously enough, it was Zach’s nonchalance that pretty much triggered the Bulls. More specifically, their highest-paid player let them know that he was open to being moved. Bear in mind that it was the Bulls that engaged in trade talks last summer – a fact that Zach LaVine was well aware of, per ESPN’s Jamal Collier.

“It was short of a full trade request, but it still irked Karnisovas, sources told ESPN, a slight perceived as LaVine not being committed to sticking with the team,” Collier said. But of course, that wasn’t all, was it? According to the NBA reporter, the earliest instance of strain was when the 6’5 guard expressed his frustration with the constant loss.

Since LaVine arrived in Chicago in 2017, they have made the playoffs just once in 2021-22. They didn’t go very far, losing to the Bucks in the opening round (1-4). The regular season hasn’t been much better, either. The ‘Windy City’ has yet to get more than 46 wins, the last time going past that number being the 2014-15 season (50-32).

The team has already taken a ‘gameplay quality’ hit after letting go of Josh Giddey and DeMar DeRozan. Well, it looks like these are going to be a tough few weeks ahead for the Chicago side, who were once regarded as the best team in the league.

Well, how do you think this will progress? Thoughts?

 Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.