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The Chicago Bulls are currently dealing with a slew of injuries as the team tries to navigate its way through the preseason slate. Zach Lavine has had to block out the noise, as many expected him to already have been traded by this point in the offseason considering the other moves that Chicago made this summer.
2023-24 was an injury-riddled season for Lavine, as the star guard missed the majority of the campaign with a foot injury, and now, the former Slam Dunk champion is revealing that he actually played some of the year with the injury, per KC Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network on X, formerly Twitter.
“Injuries suck and they happen. Last year, I played 20-some games with a broken foot,” said Lavine. “But I feel good now and we're trying to get me in more and more (catch-and-shoots). I'm more than fine with getting easy shots off the ball. I like those stress-free shots.”
Injuries have become a theme for Zach Lavine over the last few years, as the explosive athlete has had several leg ailments that have either kept him on the sidelines or limited his athleticism while on the court.
What will the Bulls look like this year?
As previously mentioned, the Bulls made some big moves this summer, including most notably letting DeMar DeRozan walk to the Sacramento Kings in free agency, ending a three-year experiment that started with promise but resulted in early postseason flameouts the last two seasons.
The Bulls also traded shooting guard Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for guard Josh Giddey, giving up arguably their best defender and taking a chance on a young player who clearly wasn't a great fit with Oklahoma City.
Furthermore, the Bulls drafted talented forward and Chicago native Matas Buzelis in the first round of the NBA Draft, giving them another young wing prospect to help fill some of the minutes that DeRozan leaves behind.
All of these transactions led some fans to believe that Zach Lavine would naturally be the next trade candidate for Chicago; however, it appears that the market for his services was not as busy as previously anticipated, and it wouldn't have made sense for the Bulls to simply unload one of their best players just for the sake of doing so.
In any case, Chicago is set to get its season underway on October 23 vs the New Orleans Pelicans.
