Bulls star Zach LaVine is set to undergo season-ending surgery on his right foot, a decision that will shake up the NBA trade deadline.
LaVine has been dealing with foot issues since the end of November, costing him 23 games to this point in the 2023-24 season. He missed 17 games from Nov. 30 to Jan. 5 due to the injury, but recently returned for a seven-game stint. The two-time All-Star was sidelined again after rolling his right ankle, which caused his foot injury to flare up.
On Friday, NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson reported that LaVine would remain out through the Feb. 8 trade deadline. The 28-year-old guard had become one of the hottest names on the market.
Just one day after Johnson's report, the Bulls announced LaVine's surgery. Here's what you need to know.
Zach LaVine injury update
"In consultation with the Chicago Bulls training and medical staff, guard Zach LaVine and Klutch Sports Group have elected surgery on LaVine’s right foot as the next step in his recovery process," the Bulls said in a news release Saturday.
LaVine will undergo the foot surgery next week and will be out for four months — an ill-timed procedure for a player who was viewed as one of the biggest difference-makers for potential championship contenders at the trade deadline.
“It bugs you, a boney, prominent area,” LaVine said before the season-ending announcement. “You really don’t want to start messing around with that, that fifth metatarsal area and it gets more and more irritated."
It was a disappointing season for the usually prolific scorer, who averaged less than 20 points per game with his worst field goal percentage (45.2) and 3-point percentage (34.9) since 2017-18. He only appeared in 25 of Chicago's 49 available games before being ruled out for the year.
How Zach LaVine's injury affects the NBA trade deadline
LaVine's name popped up consistently in trade rumors after he expressed his frustration over the Bulls' poor start to the season. With his status as one of the biggest stars on the market, he was linked to contenders like the Lakers and 76ers and even rebuilding teams like the Pistons.
Even though LaVine was having a down year riddled with injuries, he established himself as one of the most talented offensive weapons in the NBA over the last five seasons.
The 28-year-old averaged 25.1 points, 4.5 assists and 2.7 3-pointers per game in that span, proving to be a microwave scorer, floor-spacing shooter and secondary creator who could mesh in just about any backcourt.
With the announcement of his season-ending surgery, it is unlikely that any team will feel urgent enough to trade for the injured star knowing they won't get his services until 2024-25.
LaVine is only in the second year of a five-year, $215.2 million contract extension he signed during the 2022 offseason. That means possible trade suitors wouldn't be renting LaVine for a short championship window — they'd have to be willing to commit to him through the 2026 season (with a massive $49 million player option for 2026-27).
Teams that were hoping LaVine could be the player to put them over the top will now have to shift their focus to a similar talent like Hawks All-Star guard Dejounte Murray if they want an instant impact at the 2024 trade deadline.
In the meantime, the Bulls will likely have to hold LaVine until the offseason before they can get a return to help them rebuild for the future.
Chicago is 23-26 as of Saturday, sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls are 3.5 games back from a top-six seed and solidified playoff spot, so they are looking like a play-in team for the second consecutive season.
