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Zach LaVine is working back from a foot injury that has sidelined the Bulls star for more than a month as trade rumors swirl around his potential exit from Chicago.
LaVine has been out since Nov. 29, when the Bulls shut him down because of inflammation on the exterior of his right foot. The team set an estimated recovery window of three to four weeks on Dec. 6.
The Bulls are 10-7 in LaVine’s absence, having undergone an offensive transformation amid a crucial turning point in the season — both on and off the court.
We’re tracking all the news around LaVine.
Jan. 5: LaVine faces questions — and heavy expectations — in return
LaVine will play his first game in 38 days Friday against the Charlotte Hornets, making a return from a right foot injury. The Bulls went 10-7 in his absence, somewhat balancing out the dismal 5-14 start that plunged their season into doubt within the opening weeks.
But after a morning shootaround at the Advocate Center, LaVine didn’t want to talk about records or questions surrounding his status.
“My main objective is to come out here and just get back to playing,” he said. “If I let opinions affect me, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. I could care less what people think about me. I know who I am and what I do. I know what I gotta go out there and do is help provide for the team and help us win so that’s all I’ve been trying to focus on.”
For LaVine, Friday’s game will be the first opportunity to attempt to mold into an improved style of play that bolstered the team’s positive record during the 17 games he missed.
Jan. 3: ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports ‘no market’ for LaVine ahead of expected Friday return
The stakes are set for LaVine if he returns for the Bulls against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.
After responding well to another high-intensity contact practice on Wednesday, coach Billy Donovan said ahead of Wednesday’s game in New York that LaVine is trending positively toward a return on Friday. But when he does return, LaVine will face immediate uncertainty regarding a potential trade away from the Bulls.
LaVine has been mired in trade rumors since November when the guard did not deny a report that he is interested in being traded. This was the first time in LaVine’s seven years with the Bulls that he expressed interest — even indirectly through Klutch Sports agent Rich Paul — in parting with the Bulls.
But getting a trade out of Chicago might be easier than it sounds. Ahead of Wednesday’s game, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on “NBA Countdown” there aren’t any current trade partners for the Bulls.
“There is no market for Zach LaVine right now,” Wojnarowski said. “They may in the end just have to be glad that they can find a team that will take on his contract.”
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The market for LaVine continues to provide a point of contention across the NBA. USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt reported Wednesday that LaVine is still drawing interest from the Los Angeles Lakers, who have been at the forefront of any conversation about the guard’s trade since the start of the season. Yet Wojnarowski and others across the league report that no market exists for the guard, ruling out potential trades to teams formerly connected to LaVine like the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat.
What is clear is that LaVine has plenty to play for, whether he hopes to stay or leave.
Before he was sidelinedby injury, LaVine recorded the worst start to a season in his career. He averaged 21 points and 3.4 assists per game while shooting a career-low 33.6% from 3-point range, struggling to catalyze the offense. The Bulls improved on both ends of the court almost immediately after LaVine’s departure, raising further questions on what impact he could bring to other rosters around the league.
And the Bulls are heavily hampered in attempting to trade LaVine by the $215 million maximum contract they signed him to in 2022. With the caliber of his scoring prowess, it’s clear LaVine would be a more tantalizing prospect if he came on a more flexible deal. But few teams in the league are positioned to adapt their roster sheets to a maximum player of any quality, much less a player in flux like LaVine.
Donovan said it’s unclear whether LaVine will be under a minutes restriction if he returns Friday. But regardless of how much playing time he is afforded, the guard will need to send two immediate messages with his play — first that he can still command the Bulls offense and second that he is a valuable asset for teams to consider ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
Jan. 2: LaVine could return as early as Friday’s home game against the Charlotte Hornets
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LaVine is on track to return to the Bulls within the next week after a “very, very good” response to his first two days of contact practices with the G League affiliate Windy City Bulls, coach Billy Donovan said Tuesday in Philadelphia.
“The only report that I got is that it went very, very well,” Donovan said. “He responded well coming back in this morning and we’ll see how he responds tomorrow.”
LaVine participated in a “full-tilt” practice with Windy City on Monday, then underwent a more moderate day of contact practice and training Tuesday. He is expected to participate in another “pretty intense” workout Wednesday, followed by another lighter day Thursday.
Although Donovan did not set a definite return date, he said LaVine could be prepared for Friday’s game against the Hornets at the United Center if he receives clearance from the medical team.
“I don’t want to rule it out,” Donovan said. “The part we’re most concerned about is when he starts having to do all that cutting, how he responded. And he responded well. So now we’ve gotten through that and now he’s ramping up.
“I just don’t know, for the medical staff, how many days they want to see him because he’s been out 15, 16, 17 games. What do they feel is an adequate enough time for him to get his legs back under him? That would be it.”
The Bulls have a favorable schedule for LaVine to return over the next week. After road games Tuesday and Wednesday in Philadelphia and New York, they play three of their next four at home before leaving for a weeklong trip to San Antonio, Cleveland and Toronto.
Chicago Tribune Sports
If LaVine doesn’t play Friday, he could return on the road against the Hornets on Monday or at home against the Houston Rockets on Jan. 10 or the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 12.
“I don’t know what the exact date is going to be, but the way he’s progressing right now and the fact that he’s in full-fledged contact is very, very positive,” Donovan said.
Jan. 1: LaVine is assigned to the Windy City Bulls for contact practices
Zach LaVine is close to a return for the Bulls after missing 15 games with a right foot injury.
The two-time All-Star guard on Monday was assigned to the Windy City Bulls — the team’s G League affiliate — to begin contact practices this week.
LaVine began to ramp up his activity Dec. 26, testing his comfort level in lateral movements and cutting exercises. After progressing through the last week without any setbacks, he will begin contact practices with Windy City, the final hurdle before being cleared for a return to play.
Although LaVine has traveled with the Bulls for all but one road game since he was initially injured, he will stay home from a two-game trip to Philadelphia and New York this week to participate in those practices.
The Bulls appear to have found an identity to win with the current roster, but they have yet to test how LaVine can fit into that style of play. And after starting the season in the spotlight because of reports of his interest in a trade, LaVine’s absence has only raised the stakes for his status with the team as the Feb. 8 trade deadline nears.