As the first week of free agency comes to a close, Zach LaVine has a better idea of where he will be playing next season.
According to Yahoo's Shams Charania, the Sacramento Kings signed the restricted free agent to a four-year offer sheet Friday night.
The Bulls have decided to match Sacramento's $78M offer sheet to Zach LaVine, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 7, 2018
Chicago has 48 hours to match the Kings' deal. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the team did not need that much time to make a decision – the Bulls are expected to match the offer and retain LaVine's services. Chicago acquired LaVine (along with Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn) in a 2017 draft day deal that sent Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves.
The Bulls have decided to match Sacramento's $78M offer sheet to Zach LaVine, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 7, 2018
MORE: 2018 Free Agency Tracker
Marc Spears of ESPN reported that the Bulls' first offer to LaVine was "not nearly as strong as the Kings."
"I'm disappointed that I had to get an offer sheet from another team," LaVine, 23, told The Undefeated. "But Sacramento stepped up and made a strong impression. It appears that Sacramento wants me more than Chicago."
LaVine, the 13th overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft, returned last season from an ACL injury suffered in Feb. 2017. In 24 games, the 6-foot-5 guard averaged 16.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest.