© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Zach LaVine to miss 1-2 weeks due to a sprained ankle
Zach LaVine’s injury misfortunes continued as he was diagnosed with an ankle sprain that will cause him to miss anywhere between 1-2 weeks. This is bad news for a Bulls squad that was getting back into a rhythm with LaVine back in the lineup after missing all the games in December due to a foot injury.
Rolled his ankle
The injury happened on Thursday night in the game between the Bulls and the Toronto Raptors. LaVine was driving to the rim early in the third when he rolled his ankle and immediately headed to the locker room, throwing a towel down in frustration on his way there.
LaVine returned and played a few minutes in the fourth before getting subbed out for good with 7:23 left in the game and the game tied at 99-all. He finished with only eight points on seven field-goal attempts.
He underwent testing on Friday and was diagnosed with the sprain. The good news is that LaVine's injury does not require surgery, and he should be able to return to action within 1-2 weeks with proper rest and rehabilitation.
Impacts trade value
The injury comes at the wrong time for the Bulls, as they’re trying to unload LaVine and his massive salary before the trade deadline on February 8. The Bulls have gone 5-2 since his return, but LaVine hasn’t been as assertive as before, averaging around 15 points on 11 attempts per game.
In those seven games, the former UCLA star has scored in single digits twice—a rarity for someone who has averaged more than 23 points per game in the last five seasons, including a career-high 27.4 points in the 2020-2021 season.
