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Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls.
The Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine is healthy and fully recovered from the foot injury that ended his 2023-24 season after 25 games.
Trade rumors have remained quiet in a stagnant market, even though LaVine and the Bulls were both willing to find him a new home. That’s unlikely to change, at least before the regular season begins.
But the more healthy footage LaVine can show, the better it will be for him and the Bulls.
He appears to be moving well in a clip from a summer race alongside Atlanta Hawks point guard and three-time All-Star Trae Young in California, where both live off-season.
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times suggested In April, the Bulls and Hawks traded the two stars, but the latter stayed and reorganized their roster around the cornerstone of their franchise.
LaVine averaged 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from beyond the arc. Bad grades for LaVine – an All-Star in 2020-21 and 2021-22 – for multiple seasons.
He also has a major contract in the 3rd year of a five-year, $215.1 million contract.
That and his long injury history, which includes multiple knee issues, have led to a barren trade landscape.
A hot start to the 2024-25 season could remind potential suitors that LaVine averaged 28.4 points and shot 37.5 percent from beyond the arc while making 77 appearances, all as a starter, for the Bulls in 2022-23.
Lonzo Ball posts 5-on-5 workout video
LaVine wasn’t the only Bulls player to go on a summer run, with teammate Lonzo Ball He is also showing good results in his 5-on-5 training, a stage he had not reached since his knee injury in January 2022.
Ball’s video is from his session with celebrity trainer Chris Johnson.
Ball has undergone three surgeries to repair his meniscus since his first fall during the 2021-22 season, including a ligament graft in September 2023.
He is in his final year of a four-year, $80 million contract and will have to prove he is healthy before potentially becoming a free agent in 2025. The Bulls acquired the point guard Josh Giddey For Alex Caruso and intends to have the ball in his hands.
Ball could audition for another team in 2024-25.
He averaged 13.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.8 steals and just under 1.0 blocks per game in his last healthy season in 2021-22.
Former Bulls favorite signs deal with Western Conference rival: report
Ball’s future is still up in the air. But the former Bulls fan favorite Javonte Green has found a new home in free agency.
“Free agent winger Javonte Green finalizes one-year contract with the The New Orleans PelicansAccording to league sources, ” Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on X on Aug. 20. “A solid addition to the Pelicans’ depth as Green averaged 12.2 points in 25.6 minutes per night over nine games to close out last season with the Bulls.”
Like LaVine, Green’s explosiveness has been a huge asset to himself and the Bulls. The 6-foot-4 forward has defended all positions from point guard to power forward throughout his career, establishing himself through his energy.
He and Caruso teamed up to give the Bulls one of the the most stingy defensive duos in 2022-23.
Josh Buckhalter Josh has been covering the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has been covering both leagues since 2016, including writing for FanSided, Last Word on Sports, and Clocker Sports. He is based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck Learn more about Josh Buckhalter
