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Zach LaVine is set to become a sneaker free agent, but is his rehab really that far ahead?

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 30: Zach LaVine #8 of the Minnesota Timberwolves high fives his teammates during the game against the Orlando Magic on January 30, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 30: Zach LaVine #8 of the Minnesota Timberwolves high fives his teammates during the game against the Orlando Magic on January 30, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)

New Chicago Bulls wing Zach LaVine will soon be a sneaker free agent once his rookie deal with Nike is up, but it’s a note of his rehab process that caught some attention.

Zach LaVine tore his ACL in the midst of his best season to date in the NBA for the Minnesota Timberwolves and missed the final two-plus months of the season. LaVine was traded to the Chicago Bulls on draft night in a package for Jimmy Butler and became the new instant face of the franchise for the Bulls with doubts about Dwyane Wade‘s status in Chicago.

LaVine was also set to become a free agent in the sneaker world this season after his rookie deal he signed with Nike after one year at UCLA expired. On Tuesday, ESPN‘s Nick DePaula wrote a good piece about LaVine being a sought-after player for shoe companies this season with the 22-year-old in a much bigger market than Minneapolis now.

However, it was a potential status update for LaVine’s knee rehab that caught some attention in the article.

Read closely what DePaula wrote in this passage here:

"There’s no timetable just yet for LaVine’s return to action this season. He has been progressing steadily all summer in his rehab, with no worries that he’ll be able to return to the athleticism that has become a hallmark of his game. Weeks ago, the Bulls were looking to analyze his progress to date, putting LaVine through a series of drills and tests. His standing vertical leap tested higher than even his pre-draft measurements, according to a league source."

That last sentence was extremely notable. LaVine is one of the most explosive athletes in the NBA today and for him to have a better standing vertical leap than his 33.5-inch leap prior to the 2014 NBA Draft after tearing the ACL in his left knee is a great sign for his progress towards coming back and playing for the Bulls early this season.

Plus, if his Instagram account is anything, LaVine looked to be in great shape with his rehab.

There’s no need to rush LaVine back. The Bulls aren’t in any kind of position to win right now.

But, it’d be good for the franchise to get their top prize of the Jimmy Butler trade out on the floor for fans to see. He was having a really good offensive year with the Wolves before the ACL tear.

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Still, the Bulls wouldn’t be in the wrong to be cautious, especially with the injury history they’ve already been through in the previous era.

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