Recently, the Chicago Bulls were dealt a tough injury blow when it was reported that star combo guard Zach Lavine, who just finished working his way back from another injury, will be sidelined for another one to two weeks with a right ankle sprain. The news came courtesy of NBA insider Shams Charania of Stadium and the Athletic, and it did nothing to slow down rumors that the Bulls may be looking to make a trade centered around Lavine as the deadline draws near next month.

Some fans took the news as evidence that Lavine's trade value may be at an all-time low due to his storied injury history.

Others had the opposite view, opining that the injury will in some ways force Chicago's hand to make a move.

In theory, it would certainly make sense that the Bulls would at least entertain the idea of trading Zach Lavine. As talented as he is, the Bulls don't necessarily have a winning formula for the future cooking right now with the three-headed sanke that is Lavine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic, and some have wondered whether the franchise brass will opt to cut their losses and build for the future while these players still have some market value.

Whatever the future holds, the newest Lavine injury will certainly add an interesting dynamic to the proceedings, and fans should expect these talks to continue to heat up as the trade deadline rapidly approaches. The Bulls next take the floor against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 20.