Bulls Notes: LaVine, Terry, Drummond, Vucevic

The trade market for Zach LaVine has been cold and there’s a real possibility he’ll remain on the Bulls roster through the season, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes.

Word leaked early in the season that LaVine was open to being moved but there’s been little traction in that regard. His recent foot injury and modest production since his return hasn’t helped that cause.

However, LaVine seems to be focused on contributing to the team, rather than a fresh start.

“In my conversations with Zach — and again he’s never really talked about his future, his feelings toward the organization and the team, never anything like that — everything he’s talked about is: How does he help the group? And it’s always been really positive, constructive conversations with him,” coach Billy Donovan said. ‘I know there is a lot of reporting and things that were out there about what potentially may or may not happen, but my conversations with him leading into his return was he needed to come in and help the group any way he could.”

We have more on the Bulls:

  • Dalen Terry has received steady minutes and the 2022 first-rounder is earning Donovan’s trust, according to Cowley. “The thing I like about him is [that] as a young player, maybe getting consistent minutes this year where last year he didn’t, you know there’s going to be these moments of down where he’s not going to play well,” Donovan said. “I always try and look at younger players as, ‘How do they come back and respond?’ . . . It’s not even making or missing shots, [but] defensive rotations, assignments, sending a guy left and he doesn’t do that, or [he] forgets to block out, leaves his feet on a shot fake and fouls a shooter. Those are the things that he’s got to get more consistent on. [But] when he’s had games where he’s done those things, he’s always come back and responded really well, and I always think that’s a good sign.”
  • Andre Drummond has put up impressive stats while starting the last seven games but he’s headed back to his usual bench role on Wednesday, Cowley reports. Drummond averaged 14 points and a whopping 17.4 rebounds per game during that span as the Bulls went 4-3. Nikola Vucevic has been eased back into the rotation since returning from a groin injury but he’ll start against the Rockets. “Vooch brings a different thing to the table as far as what he does offensively,” Donovan said.
  • In case you missed it, the Bulls haven’t dismissed the possibility of including Lonzo Ball‘s contract as part of a trade package to upgrade the team.
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