National Basketball Association

Bulls' Zach LaVine to have season-ending foot surgery ahead of trade deadline

Published Feb. 3, 2024 6:09 p.m. ET

It appears Zach LaVine's season is over.

The Bulls' All-Star will undergo surgery on his right foot, sidelining the high-scoring guard for four-to-six months and likely the rest of the season, the team announced Saturday.

LaVine and his agency, Klutch Sports Group, made the decision in consultation with the team’s training and medical staff, the Bulls announced Saturday.

LaVine, who turns 29 in March, played in just 25 games this season. He averaged 19.5 points and 5.2 rebounds.

He dealt with an injury to his right foot earlier this season that forced him to be sidelined for 17 games, missing all of December and the start of January. He returned on Jan. 5 and played seven games in a row before an ankle injury caused him to miss the last six games.

Prior to his right foot injury in November, LaVine became the subject of trade rumors with reports emerging that the Bulls were open to trading him. Even after both injuries, LaVine was still viewed as a possible top player who could be moved ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. Theoretically, he could still be traded, but the injury likely dampens a contending team's desire to want him.

LaVine is in the second season of a five-year, $210 million deal. He emerged as an All-Star over the 2020-21 and the 2021-22 seasons, scoring 27.4 points per game in the former and 24.4 points per game in the latter. While he wasn't named an All-Star last season, LaVine still scored 24.8 points per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the field.

Those numbers have taken a notable dip this season though, as LaVine has battled injuries. He's scoring 19.2 points per game on 45.2% shooting from the field and 34.9 percent from 3-point range, putting up his worst scoring season in six years. He's also averaging his fewest assists per game (3.9) in six seasons as well.

Despite playing without one of their top players for nearly half the season, the Bulls have actually posted a better record in games without LaVine than they have when he played. They're 13-11 in the 24 games LaVine has missed, as they're 23-26 on the season. They hold the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference entering Saturday's games.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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