Since being traded to the Windy CIty in 2017, Zach LaVine has done everything in his power to establish his imprint on this era of Chicago Bulls history. Now that the team has given LaVine the help he needs in the form of DeMar DeRozan, he has now finally been capable of making winning a realistic goal for this team.
Believe it or not, DeRozan is already 34th in Chicago’s all-time franchise scoring leaders list even though he hasn’t finished playing two full seasons with the team yet. Even more impressively, however, is LaVine has now skyrocketed into the elite ranks of the Bulls’ top 10 scorers. LaVine’s game has significantly evolved over the years and he is a better player today than he has ever been before.
Now that he’s just now reaching his prime, it’s interesting to think about how many records are left for LaVine to break. He joins an elite list of former Bulls with multiple All-Star selections in the last 25 years that includes DeRozan, Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, and Pau Gasol. With over 8,000 points scored as a Bull under his belt, LaVine is undeniably one of the greatest offensive players this city has ever seen.
This feat now even qualifies LaVine to surpass Chicago legend Derrick Rose, believe it or not, for the most total points in a Bulls uniform. Rose scored 8,001 points in 406 regular season games with the Bulls, bumped down by LaVine with his 8,027 total points in just 329 games.
Zach LaVine has forever etched himself into Chicago Bulls history by surpassing Derrick Rose in total points scored.
Zach still has a ways to go if he wants to continue the Bulls’ all-time scoring ladder though, as there’s a substantial amount of room between him and the top spot on this list. That being said, it’s not an unreasonable expectation for LaVine to reach the top five (or dare I say, top 3?) if he continues at his current pace of play. Here’s a look at the Bulls’ current top 10 all-time scorers.
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- Michael Jordan – 29,277
- Scottie Pippen – 15,123
- Bob Love – 12,623
- Luol Deng – 10,286
- Jerry Sloan – 10,233
- Chet Walker – 9,788
- Artis Gilmore – 9,288
- Kirk Hinrich – 8,536
- Reggie Theus – 8,279
- Zach LaVine – 8,027
Having scored an average of over 1,500 points over the last five seasons, LaVine is well on his way toward leaping a few of these names next season, so long as he can avoid any debilitating injuries. Assuming LaVine plays the next three guaranteed seasons of his contract out and maintains a mark of 1,500 or more points in each of those years, LaVine would easily jump up to 4th place on the list and would even be in a position to inch past Bob Love for 3rd place.
Even then, LaVine has a player option for 2026-27, so he could very well continue storming past 3rd if he opts into his commitment with the team for another year. Even if LaVine’s scoring takes a slight dip as he ages, he’ll still be capable of scoring 14,000 points by the time his current contract expires. Set to turn 28 years old in just a couple weeks, LaVine could certainly maintain the longevity necessary to forever be enshrined as one of the greatest in Bulls history.
That being said, we’re talking quite a ways into the future here, and it’s impossible to know if LaVine will avoid any setbacks to his longevity, or if he’ll even wish to remain with the franchise if they’re not making progress toward championship contention. It’s near impossible to predict just how much the landscape of the NBA can change over the course of half a decade, but there is a distinct possibility for LaVine to become an all-time great.
If LaVine would prefer a more realistic goal, however, he could start by increasing his 77 career playoff points and pursuing Rose once more — who has scored 973 career playoff points and currently ranks fifth in Chicago Bulls franchise history as a postseason performer.
