Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine missed the team’s 116-108 regular-season opening win against the Miami Heat. Check out his injury update.
Zach LaVine : Injury update | Knee Injury | Contract
Zachary Thomas LaVine is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 10, 1995 Renton, Washington, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
He was selected in the first round of the 2014 NBA draft with the 13th overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
A two-time Slam Dunk Contest champion, he was named an NBA All-Star in 2021 and 2022. He also won a gold medal on the 2020 U.S. Olympic team in Tokyo.
Zach LaVine injury update
Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine missed the team’s 116-108 regular-season opening win against the Miami Heat on Wednesday night because of left knee injury management, according to the team.
LaVine told reporters after shootaround on Wednesday morning in Miami that his absence was not tied to a setback but rather load management for his knee.
He was not sure of his status for Friday’s game against the Washington Wizards, the front end of a back-to-back before the team’s home opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.
LaVine, who signed a five-year, $215 million max contract this past offseason, played through lingering soreness in his knee during the second half of the 2021-22 season before undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in May.
However, he and the Bulls have continually expressed confidence in his health from the start of training camp, and LaVine played in the team’s first three preseason games, averaging 21.8 minutes per game before sitting out the finale.
As recently as after practice Friday, LaVine once again reiterated confidence in his health exiting the preseason.
Knee Injury
Prior to the team’s season-opener against the Heat, the Bulls listed Zach LaVine as questionable on the injury report. He was later ruled out and is said to be at risk of missing multiple games to start the season.
LaVine had a career year in 2020-21 with an average of 27.4 points per game, earning him his first All-Star selection. He followed it up by averaging 24.4 points per game in 2021-22, earning him his second straight All-Star selection.
LaVine is listed on the injury report as being out due to left knee injury management.
LaVine suffered a left knee injury in Chicago’s loss to Golden State on Jan. 14, 2022. The Bulls announced the next day that an MRI revealed no structural damage and he was not expected to miss significant time.
The injury sidelined LaVine for five straight games. He returned and appeared in 29 of Chicago’s final 37 games of the regular season. He then played in four of the team’s five games against the Bucks in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
On May 24, the Bulls announced that LaVine underwent left knee arthroscopic surgery and was expected to make a full recovery.
Contract
Zach LaVine signed a 5 year / $215,159,700 contract with the Chicago Bulls, including $215,159,700 guaranteed, and an annual average salary of $43,031,940.
| Contract: | 5 yr(s) / $215,159,700 |
| Average Salary: | $43,031,940 |
| Guaranteed at Signing | $215,159,700 |
| Signed Using: | Maximum/Bird |
| Free Agent: | 2027 / UFA |
In 2022-23, LaVine will earn a base salary of $37,096,500, while carrying a cap hit of $37,096,500 and a dead cap value of $37,096,500.