Zach

LaVine

NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson reported on Thursday afternoon that the Bulls have made “as many as 15 trade offers” centered around LaVine, with Philadelphia being one of the teams approached. According to Neubeck, the 76ers’ feelings about LaVine have not changed since the February trade deadline: they aren’t interested. Given the recent reports and Chicago reportedly trading Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City for Josh Giddey, it’s clear that lead executive Arturas Karnisovas is looking to make significant changes to the Bulls roster ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

It shouldn’t be surprising that Chicago is looking to move LaVine based on how last season went, but for a team that hasn’t made a trade in years, they’re being far more active than normal. They’ve reportedly made offers to the Kings, Magic and 76ers, among other teams. At this point, it seems like LaVine has played his last game as a Bull.

After missing the team’s last six games, LaVine will now remain sidelined for the rest of the season. The team gave a timeline of four-to-six months for his recovery, so he should be ready to go for training camp. Ayo Dosunmu and Alex Caruso should both continue to start until Patrick Williams returns, though with LaVine not returning, Dosunmu should continue to play a large role for the rest of the year, even if he comes off the bench.

The timing shockingly coincides with the NBA trade deadline which is Thursday, February 8. Trade rumors have been swirling around the star guard, and it’s not surprising that he’ll remain out through the deadline. Ayo Dosunmu and Alex Caruso have been great with LaVine on the sidelines, and both should be rostered in 12-team leagues. Dosunmu is a top waiver wire add, with his roster percentage at just 29% in Yahoo leagues.

LaVine, the subject of trade rumors over the past two months, has been sidelined since January 18. It was initially believed that he would miss anywhere from 1-2 weeks with the sprained ankle, but the timeline may be longer than that, based on Donovan’s comments. Patrick Williams will remain the starter for the foreseeable future.

Reportedly out for one to two weeks, LaVine will be with the Bulls for their upcoming road trip. Chicago plays three games out west during Week 14, beginning with the Suns on Monday. LaVine traveling with the team could mean he’s closer to a return than initially anticipated, or it could mean nothing. Patrick Williams will be in the starting lineup until LaVine is cleared to play.

LaVine injured his ankle during the third quarter of Thursday’s win over the Raptors. While he did attempt to play through the pain, the decision was ultimately made during the fourth quarter to shut him down for the night. LaVine’s absence likely means a return to the starting lineup for Patrick Williams, who was productive when Zach missed 17 games earlier this season with a right foot injury.

LaVine exited early on Thursday, and now he is expected to remain sidelined for Saturday’s game. He tried to play through it for a bit, but he had to sit on the bench to close the game. Ayo Dosunmu will likely take on an expanded role in LaVine’s expected absence.

LaVine, who missed 17 games earlier this season with a right foot injury, rolled his right ankle early in the third quarter of Thursday’s game. He was able to return eventually, but the lingering pain led to him being sidelined down the stretch. While Patrick Williams (12 points, one assist, and two 3-pointers) was available, Ayo Dosunmu (10/2/5/0/1 in 32 minutes) filled the void as Chicago closed out Toronto. If LaVine isn’t available for Saturday’s game against the Grizzlies, look for Williams to return to the starting lineup.

Over the past two weeks, LaVine has been a 5th-round player in 9-cat formats. That’s one round better than his season-long value, so the veteran guard may be doing an excellent job of blocking out the trade rumors. While it has been reported that LaVine’s contract will make it difficult for the Bulls to move him by the February deadline if that’s the path they choose to take, his name continues to be mentioned. We’ll see what happens between now and the February 8 trade deadline.