Zach to the future: ‘I’m committed here’
LaVine says his extra weeks of recovery are unrelated to a potential trade
Zach LaVine likely won’t play for the Chicago Bulls again until 2024.
The two-time All-Star guard knows how this looks. When the team announced after Wednesday’s game that LaVine will require three to four more weeks of treatment to address right foot soreness — which already has sidelined him intermittently for the last two weeks — the speculation that followed was immediate and harsh.
LaVine acknowledged the reality of his situation Thursday at the Advocate Center but shot down the idea his absence is related to a potential upcoming trade.
“I think it’s funny,” LaVine said. “For everybody who knows me, I try to play through everything. This is not to do with anything off the court, and everything off the court is still obviously very much speculation.
“It’s funny to me to see all the narratives and things like that that people run with. I deal with it internally, but it is what it is. I go out there and put my heart on for Chicago whenever I put that jersey on. When I get back out there, I’ll continue to do that.”
The injury occurred during a home game against the Miami Heat on Nov. 18 — just days after LaVine chose not to deny reports that he’s interested in a trade away from Chicago.
LaVine played through the injury for both games of a homestand against the Heat, then missed one road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He returned for three games but was pulled in the second half of a blowout loss to the Boston Celtics on Nov. 28. The Bulls shut him down for a week three days later.