Bulls star Zach LaVine will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in the coming weeks, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). LaVine is expected to make a full recovery.
The news was anticipated, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times relayed at the end of April that a surgical procedure for LaVine was imminent after Chicago’s season ended. The Bulls reached the playoffs for the first time since 2016/17, but fell to the Bucks in the first round. It was LaVine’s first postseason appearance.
LaVine battled soreness in his left knee for most of the season. He missed 10 games in January and February while dealing with the injury and had fluid drained from his knee in early March, which is when he initially indicated that offseason surgery might be necessary.
Although LaVine said that he felt like he was still one of the best players in the NBA even at 70% or 80% of his usual self in March, a source close to the situation told Cowley that LaVine was “more like 50%, and that’s on a good day,” noting that the knee maintenance required to keep LaVine on the court was often an “all-day ordeal.”
There’s no sense that LaVine’s knee problem is degenerative or that it will affect him long-term, according to Cowley, so the hope is that he’ll be able to get back to his old self following the surgery. It’s worth noting that arthroscopic procedures are considered minimally invasive.
The 27-year-old is an unrestricted free agent for the first time this summer. Some around the league were somewhat surprised by comments LaVine made after the season ended, saying he was looking forward to the process and would go into it “open-eyed” and “look into everything.”
He was also noncommittal when asked if the Bulls were the clubhouse leaders to sign him, which has led to speculation he might join another team after it was considered a foregone conclusion that he would re-up with Chicago. Still, a new deal with the Bulls seems like the most likely outcome, given they have the ability to offer LaVine a projected $212.3MM over five years, while any other team would be limited to a max offer of $157.4MM over four years.
LaVine made the All-Star team both of the past two seasons and appeared in 67 games in 2021/22, averaging 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists on .476/.389/.853 shooting despite dealing with the troublesome knee.
Lakers are targeting LaVine.
Today’s news:
Phil Jackson wants to trade LeBron and keep Westbrook
According to yahoo
“I’ve heard that Phil would like LeBron traded. I’ve just heard that but I’ve got nothing to back that up. No on-the-record stuff to back that up. I do know that Phil would like to keep Westbrook and try to make that work with him.”
I hope the Lakers trade LeBron. They don’t deserve him. All he does is put money in their pockets, brought them a ship in the most difficult season ever played and all in the same year Kobe died. Now he averages 30/8/6 in his age 37 season the entire roster otherwise underperforms (exceptions being Monk and Melo) and this whole debacle is his fault?? That’s some BS. Please trade him. There’s 29 other teams who’d love to have him. For many many reasons.
Good luck with Russ and a broken AD LAL!!!
IMO
Both Russ and AD are broken!
Broken has two different meanings.
My formula
LeBron trade value = 15th pick + Wall
LeBron trade value = 30th pick + Love + filler
Your calculator is broken
Silly is reporting it so it’s gotta be true! HahahahHa
Not sure how you pay LaVine $50M+ every year into his 30s when he relies on hyperathleticism. He’s a great player and as a Bulls fan, I want to see him continue to play for the Bulls but man, you know 3 years from now that contract is going to be bad.
Its about assets collection.
Bulls can sign him and trade him in February of 2023 or 2024.
No. There are some contracts like John Wall and Westbrook (currently) that are not tradeable and most bloated contracts are just fodder for other fodder deals that you have to attach draft picks to to get off that contact sooner. Bulls don’t have draft picks to trade.
A sign and trade for Westbrook works for the Bulls if they dont want to committ max money to LaVine for four or five years, and works for the Lakers if he is willing to take less than what the Bulls can pay in a max deal.
LaVine signs a deal with the Bulls for more than the Lakers can pay him in free agency, and the Bulls trade him to the Lakers for Westbrook who has an expiring contract, freeing the Bulls up to sign a free agent in 2023.
It’s basically 42 a year. I think the Lillard and or Harden deals is capable of 50 a year based on what they make. 40 is a lot but what’s the options if they don’t sign him, it might be become a play in team.
Lakers cant trade LeBron unless they get Klay Thompson, and Zach Lavine.
That would be some team though, and its possible if they can get the Bulls to agree to a sign and trade and LaVine signs for less than max. That trade would have to include Westbrook, a first round pick and possibly a player to the Bulls. Possibly a Vucevic / Davis swap but if I was the Lakers Id keep Davis.
LeBron to Golden State for Klay Thompson, picks and possibly a player like Moses Moody would work too, if Klay takes less than max.
Have to find apoint guard, but Lavine, Davis and Klay Thompson would be nice.
But Id say the Bulls trade works out and LeBron stays, LeBron, Davis and Lavine, also nice cause LeBron can run point.
Do you actually watch NBA games? Klay for Lebron???? How many picks are GS giving, 15?
LeBron is a different player than Klay Thompson, that is for sure, but Klay Thompson is probably the best shooter in the league.
LeBron is 37 years old, I think he can play until he is 45 but teams will have to manage his minutes, hes going to have injuries, it complicates a teams momentum and synergy when you have a player who cant push it a 100 night in and night out. Not saying LeBron doesnt push it a 100, he is who he is because of his competitiveness, Im just saying that as he ages, he’ll have to slow down, So I’d say he has 3 to 5 MVP caliber seasons left in him.
Klay Thompson is not LeBron, but the trade isnt too far off.
The one thing about the Lakers is they have always had a face to the franchise, LeBron is that guy, in LA if you trade LeBron you risk your fan base unless you can replace him with a player who has that kind of star potential. Klay Thompson has Lakers legacy, and that kind of star power, hes probably the only player in the league you could trade LeBron for in the sense of being a Laker.