With only 10 days left before the NBA trade deadline, Zach LaVine still hasn't made progress in returning to play for the Chicago Bulls.
LaVine hasn't rejoined practice since he's still struggling with a sprained right ankle. During the team’s recent three-game West Coast trip, he could only receive treatment and couldn't do anything else.
On Thursday, Coach Billy Donovan mentioned that LaVine will need at least one more week of rest before the medical team can reassess his condition. This would mean two full weeks without exercise and would make it unlikely for LaVine to play the Feb. 6 home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Bulls’ last game before the trade window closes at 2 p.m. Feb. 8 is approaching. This raises the question: Has LaVine played his final game in a Bulls uniform?
Donovan stated that there has been no communication from the Bulls front office about LaVine’s status after the deadline.
“I'm not sure. I really don’t know,” Donovan mentioned before Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers. “I'd hate to even guess. I am assuming he will be with us for the entire year and I hope he can recover soon. But no one has informed me that it's the case.”
It’s clear that LaVine is unlikely to play another game before the deadline. Despite the shared desire for a trade from LaVine and the Bulls front office, it's been hard to find options to trade the two-time All-Star and his maximum contract over the last three months.
The Detroit Pistons became a new potential trade partner last week , but the Bulls have remained strong in their desire to trade LaVine only for a good deal.
Executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas joined the team in Phoenix and Los Angeles last week for the first two legs of an eight-day trip. This week, the front office will meet to assess their options before the deadline – and LaVine will be the main focus of discussion.
Donovan will participate in these meetings, but he mentioned his input generally focuses on the current roster rather than potential additions or trades.
“They usually ask my opinion on players,” Donovan noted. “But it’s more about the player situation. Because you could say we need more shooting, you need more rebounding – you could mention all those things. But when you watch as much film as I do, you start evaluating and getting a feel for these things. So I'm more interested when there are things being brought to the table.”
LaVine has missed 22 games this season, including 17 straight in December and early January with inflammation in his right foot. He came back for seven games before spraining his ankle against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 18. The Bulls have a 12-10 record without LaVine and a 10-15 record with him.
The long absences have been visibly frustrating for LaVine, who demonstrated a commitment to adjust his game to the offensive style that made the Bulls more successful during his earlier absence. He averaged 5.3 assists during his seven-game return from the foot injury.
Additionally, it's frustrating that LaVine's future with the Bulls may remain uncertain until the deadline a week from Thursday.
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