The worst-kept secret in the NBA is that the Chicago Bulls are trying to trade Zach LaVine.
Currently, the market is non-existent, with no interest in a two-time All-Star who is still under 30 years old.
This isn’t because LaVine can’t play, his stats when healthy put him among the elite scorers in the NBA. LaVine is 19th in total points in the last six seasons and 14th in scoring average at 24.7 points per game.
It’s the “when healthy” part that has always gotten him, as LaVine has had a slew of injuries ranging from ones that cost him a few games to ones that cost him most of entire seasons.
Zach LaVine’s injury history starts in 2017
After playing 77 and 82 games in his first two seasons, LaVine got what would be the first of many injuries.
Knee issues limited him to just 47 games in the 2016-17 season and 24 games in 2017-18, his first with the Bulls.
Ankle and knee injuries held LaVine to just 63 games in the 2018-19 season and from there it was a slew of minor injuries that always kept LaVine from having a full season.
LaVine’s injury history: All the minor pains add up
Zach LaVine’s injury report from 2019 was a litany of small injuries that limited him to just 60 games. It’s wild just how many there were in one calendar year.
January
Three separate ankle injuries cost LaVine games.
March
It was his back, knee and thigh that cost him time in March.
November
Two ankle injuries greeted LaVine and the Bulls in the new season.
December
In December, LaVine missed games with back issues, shoulder and shin problems, illness and three separate issues of shoulder pain.
Zach LaVine injury history: The good years
From 2020-2023 LaVine played 58 (COVID shortened season), 67 and 77 games, making the All-Star team twice during his best stretch of health since early in his career.
This shows what LaVine can be when he is healthy and at 100 percent, which is an elite scorer, an accurate high-volume 3-point shooter and one of the best guards in the NBA despite his defensive deficiencies.
This is the guy the Bulls could trade for assets at the deadline, and one they are hoping returns.
Another lost season in 2023-24
Foot surgery ended LaVine’s 2023-24 season prematurely, holding him to just 25 games, which is the primary reason the Bulls are now stuck with the three years, $138 million left on his contract.
This has been the story of LaVine’s career, as serious as well as nagging smaller injuries have always kept him from reaching his full potential for sustained runs.
He’ll be primed and motivated to show he can still be that guy, mostly so that he can find a home on a new team, which would be the best outcome for everyone involved.