Zach LaVine Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Garland, VanVleet Make All-Star Team For First Time

February 3rd, 2022 at 6:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers guard Darius Garland and Raptors guard Fred VanVleet were chosen for the All-Star Game for the first time in their respective careers. They were named, along with a handful of other players, to the Eastern Conference All-Star reserve pool on Thursday, per the NBA (Twitter link).

Garland is averaging 19.8 PPG and 8.2 APG for the surprising Cavaliers. VanVleet has posted averages of 21.5 PPG and 7.0 APG this season.

The list of Eastern Conference reserves also includes the Nets’ James Harden, the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, the Bulls’ Zach LaVine, the Bucks’ Khris Middleton and the Heat‘s Jimmy Butler. The reserves were chosen by the league’s coaches.

Garland will be playing in front of his home fans in Cleveland on February 20.

The pool of Eastern Conference starters was announced a week ago. Sixers center Joel Embiid, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nets forward Kevin Durant are the frontcourt starters, while the backcourt players in the starter pool are DeMar DeRozan (Bulls) and Trae Young (Hawks).

Western Notes: Williams, James, Robinson-Earl, Murray

January 31st, 2022 at 8:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Suns coach Monty Williams and his staff will coach Team LeBron (James) at the All-Star Game in Cleveland, according to an ESPN report. Phoenix is guaranteed to have the best record in the conference before the cutoff date of February 6. Williams will coach in the All-Star Game for the first time, and he’ll be the first Phoenix head coach to do so since Mike D’Antoni in 2007.

We have more from the Western Conference:

An MRI on James’ left knee revealed only general swelling and he might return to action as soon as Wednesday, Lakers coach Frank Vogel told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and other media members. James has missed the last three games. “Just going to keep an eye on it day to day,” Vogel said.
The Thunder assigned Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to their G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, for a Monday afternoon game, according to a team press release. It was somewhat surprising, since Robinson-Earl has started 36 games for the Thunder and has averaged 24.7 MPG this month. Head coach Mark Daigneault said it was part of the development process, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman tweets. “Obviously on the surface it looks a little peculiar,” he said. “What I’d say is, one thing that we’ve learned and that we’re trying to apply is that changing environments, changing circumstances, changing roles is good for development.”
Klay Thompson, Victor Oladipo and Zach LaVine are among the opposing players who have reached out to Nuggets guard Jamal Murray during his recovery from a serious knee injury, Mike Singer of the Denver Post writes. Those players have also gone through the process of a long rehab.

Central Notes: Young, Wigginton, Hayes, LaVine

January 29th, 2022 at 3:45pm CST by JD Shaw

Former Bulls forward Thaddeus Young discussed a variety of subjects with K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, including his time with the team and how he found out that he was being traded to San Antonio.

Young has only played in 25 games with the Spurs, a team clearly focused on building for the future. He remains grateful for his time with the Bulls, where he averaged an impressive 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game last season.

“Just the moments that I had with my teammates,” Young said when asked about what stands out from his Bulls tenure. “Those are all great guys. We all know I love Zach (LaVine) to death. And he feels the same way. Getting a chance to help groom Pat (Williams) and Coby (White) a little bit. And then the staff was great. I loved having conversations with everyone on staff and making sure the guys were good.”

San Antonio could trade Young before the February 10 deadline, or the team could reach a buyout agreement with the 33-year-old. Chicago has a need at power forward, but is ineligible to reacquire Young unless he’s traded to another team and then waived. The Bulls could also pursue a veteran like Paul Millsap, who reportedly isn’t expected to play another game with Brooklyn.

Here are some other notes from the Central Division:

Bucks two-way player Lindell Wigginton exited the NBA’s health and safety protocols this week, according to Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). Wigginton entered protocols last weekend after signing with the team earlier this month.
Pistons guard Killian Hayes is starting to adapt to his new reserve role, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press writes. Hayes, 20, is averaging 6.3 points per game on just 35% shooting this season. He’s come off the bench in each of the Pistons’ last three games.
Bulls star Zach LaVine‘s priorities have changed this year, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times opines. With Chicago adding Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic over the last 10 months, LaVine is now playing for a championship contender, something that’s relatively new for him. The Bulls own the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 30-18.

Injury Updates: Payne, Crowder, Ayton, Gobert, Bogdanovic, LaVine

January 24th, 2022 at 8:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns will be without one of their key rotation players for at least a couple weeks. Cameron Payne will be reevaluated in two weeks after suffering a sprained right wrist, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports. The reserve guard suffered the injury on Saturday against Indiana.

Payne is averaging 10.5 PPG and 3.6 APG as Chris Paul‘s backup. Elfrid Payton will likely absorb some of his minutes and Devin Booker will see more action at the point.

Jae Crowder (wrist) and Deandre Ayton (ankle) also missed Monday’s game against Utah but are considered day-to-day. Ayton has missed four consecutive games due to a right ankle sprain suffered at Detroit on January 16.

We have more injury updates:

Jazz center Rudy Gobert suffered a left calf strain in the late going against Golden State on Sunday, according to Sarah Todd of the Deseret News. “I tried to play through it. But I could feel I wasn’t moving right and I didn’t want to make it worse,” he said. Gobert missed Monday’s game against Phoenix but the strain is considered mild and he isn’t expected to be sidelined for an extended period, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets.
The Jazz‘s Bojan Bogdanovic has a left finger avulsion fracture but can continue to play with it, Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets. The injury, which occurred against Houston last week, is a ligament that has been pulled off the bone. He can’t bend it and will require a splint for the next four-to-six weeks. Bogdanovic also didn’t play on Monday.
Bulls star guard Zach LaVine returned to action on Monday after a five-game absence, James Collier of ESPN writes. LaVine was sidelined with a left knee injury. He had not played since exiting in the first quarter on January 14 against the Warriors after feeling soreness in his left knee.

Eastern Notes: Harris, Hornets, LaVine, Green, Claxton

January 23rd, 2022 at 7:57pm CST by JD Shaw

Nets sharpshooter Joe Harris has now missed 31 straight games due to an ankle injury, a process that head coach Steve Nash called “tricky,” Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Asked if Harris has experienced setbacks during his rehab, Nash acknowledged the forward’s progress has been stop and start.

“Yeah, there’s been some awareness (of it) and irritation,” Nash said. “He’s been doing a tug-of-war between making progress and then having some irritation. It’s really a process that’s been tricky.”

Last season, Harris scored 14.1 points per game, shooting 47.5% from three-point range in his 69 contests. The Nets own the best record in the Eastern Conference (29-16) despite Harris only playing 14 of those games.

There’s more from the Eastern Conference tonight:

In a piece for The Charlotte Observer, Roderick Boone lists how several Hornets players have graded their seasons to date. Key players such as Terry Rozier, LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges all gave themselves assessments in the C range, suggesting they believe there’s plenty of room for improvement. On the season, Charlotte is 26-20, which includes a 13-6 home record and 13-14 road mark.
Bulls guards Zach LaVine (knee) and Javonte Green (adductor) are meeting their team in Oklahoma City, head coach Billy Donovan said, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic (Twitter link). The Bulls will play the Thunder on Monday. LaVine could return for that game, Mayberry adds.
Nets center Nicolas Claxton hopes to return early next week, Brian Lewis of the New York Post relays (via Twitter). Claxton has been dealing with a left hamstring injury and won’t rush the return process, Lewis adds in a separate tweet. He’s only appeared in 20 of the team’s 45 games this season.

Bulls Hopeful Zach LaVine Can Return Next Week

January 21st, 2022 at 7:10pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said that Zach LaVine‘s sore left knee has been responding well to treatment and he continues to do on-court work, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). Donovan added that there’s still no specific date the team is targeting for LaVine’s return, but is hopeful it could occur “middle-to-late” next week.

The Bulls play Wednesday, Jan. 26 against Toronto, Friday, Jan. 28 at San Antonio, and Sunday, Jan. 30 against Portland, so it’s possible LaVine could return on one of those dates. Assuming things continue to progress in a positive direction, I would imagine the team will be cautious with its star player and would guess Sunday as the most likely outcome, but it all depends on how he’s feeling.

An MRI last Saturday revealed no structural damage to Lavine’s knee, but he had played through soreness for a couple of weeks prior to exiting the team’s loss against Golden State last Friday with “discomfort.” LaVine played less than four minutes in the 42-point loss, but through 38 contests, he still holds stellar averages of 24.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists this season, shooting 49% from the floor and 41% from deep.

LaVine’s strong play is a major reason why the Bulls are 28-15, tied with Miami for first place in the East. The Bulls have gone 1-2 in LaVine’s absence thus far (1-3 counting the game against Golden State) and face the defending champion Bucks on Friday night.

Chicago has been hit hard by injuries this season. In addition to LaVine, second-year forward Patrick Williams had wrist surgery and is expected to miss most, if not all, of the season, Javonte Green has been dealing with a strained adductor, Derrick Jones Jr. has a bone bruise in his right knee, and Lonzo Ball is undergoing knee surgery next week to repair a torn meniscus, which will sideline him for several weeks. The team also had three games postponed in December due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

Central Notes: Dosunmu, White, Kalamian, Holiday, Sexton

January 20th, 2022 at 8:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rookie Ayo Dosunmu and third-year guard Coby White have expanded roles in the absence of Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine and they’ve performed well, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago notes. Ball is out six-to-eight weeks after undergoing knee surgery and LaVine didn’t join on the Bulls on their three-game road trip due to a less serious knee injury.

Dosunmu and White have started the last three games, with Dosunmu averaging 18.0 PPG, 8.0 APG and 5.7 RPG and White posting 17.0 PPG, 4.3 APG and 4.3 RPG.

DeMar DeRozan has been impressed with Dosunmu’s maturity. “He accepts his mistakes,” DeRozan said. “He holds himself accountable. And that’s big for a young guy to be able to do that.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Pistons assistant coach Rex Kalamian has agreed to become the head coach of the Armenian national team, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnaworski tweets. Both of Kalamian’s parents are Armenian-Americans. Kalamian, who recently served as acting coach when Dwane Casey missed some games for personal reasons, will continue in his duties in Detroit.
Jrue Holiday returned to action on Wednesday after missing six games due to left ankle soreness. Though he only scored nine points in 22 minutes, he gave the Bucks a boost in numerous areas, Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes. “Wish I had a little more (time on the floor), but I think just trying to get my timing back, get my legs back, get my feel for the game back,” Holiday said. “I feel like I haven’t played in a long time, so just trying to get back right.”
Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton, who underwent season-ending knee surgery two months ago, will be a restricted free agent after the season. Bryan Fonseca of Basketball News explores the pros and cons of Cleveland trading Sexton before next month’s deadline. Fonseca ultimately concludes the Cavs should retain Sexton, providing another shot-creator and catch-and-shoot option on a team with playoff aspirations beyond this season.

Injury Updates: Ball, LaVine, Nader, Collins, Lopez, Carter

January 19th, 2022 at 8:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine will both miss the Bulls‘ upcoming three-game road trip so they can receive treatment for knee injuries, writes Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. Coach Billy Donovan updated their conditions in a media session before tonight’s game, saying the team’s first treatment plan for Ball’s knee was unsuccessful.

Ball, who was sent back to Chicago before Monday’s contest in Memphis, had his diagnosis changed from soreness in the knee to a bone contusion. Donovan said a timetable for his return won’t be set until the medical staff sees how he responds to the new treatments, adding that doctors haven’t considered the possibility of surgery yet.

“I think the biggest thing right now is what are the steps that we can do to get him back and get him healthy,” Donovan said. “I haven’t gotten into any detail with them (doctors) about that other than, hey, we’ll try this treatment, we’ll try this therapy, see how it goes, and then whatever the next step is that will be. But I haven’t been told what any next steps are gonna be.”

LaVine, who hasn’t played since leaving last Wednesday’s game in the first quarter, is responding to therapy for pain in his left knee, Donovan added. There’s no timeline for LaVine’s return either, but Donovan said he has been shooting free throws and doing strength training.

There’s more injury news to pass along:

Suns forward Abdel Nader is making progress after missing the last 28 games with an injury to his right knee, but it will be a while before he can play again, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “He’s starting to ramp up,” coach Monty Williams said. “He hasn’t done any 1-on-1, 2-on-2, 3-on-3. So he’s still a ways away.”
Spurs center Zach Collins is getting closer to making his season debut after playing in the G League Monday, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express News (Twitter link). Collins expects to play another G League game Friday, and coach Gregg Popovich said there’s not a definite time when he’ll be called up.
The Bucks haven’t set a timetable for center Brook Lopez to return after having back surgery in early December, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We felt positive when we had the surgery,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “All the reports coming out of it, the hopes and the expectations. So nothing’s changed, nothing’s new. … This is all kind of to some degree what we expected, planned and we’ll continue to monitor and see how he progresses.”
Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. missed his seventh straight game tonight with soreness in his left hamstring, but acting head coach Jesse Mermuys said he’s “very close” to returning, tweets Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel.

No Structural Damage To Zach LaVine’s Knee

January 15th, 2022 at 12:32pm CST by JD Shaw

Bulls star Zach LaVine underwent an MRI on Saturday that revealed no structural damage to his left knee, the team announced on social media. LaVine has been dealing with knee soreness and played just over three minutes of the team’s game on Saturday because of it.

His knee has flared up occasionally since undergoing ACL surgery in 2017, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). The 26-year-old has been playing through soreness these past couple of weeks, but the Bulls have clarified that he isn’t expected to miss significant time due to the injury.

LaVine continues to feel stiffness and will be reevaluated next week, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports the sides will proceed with caution. He’s averaged 24.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game this season, shooting 49% from the floor and 41% from deep.

LaVine’s strong play is a major reason why the Bulls are 27-13, good for the best record in the East. Without him, players such as Ayo Dosunmu and Troy Brown Jr. figure to get more playing time.

LaVine Injures Knee, Bulls Hopeful It’s Not Serious

January 14th, 2022 at 7:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls star wing Zach LaVine suffered a left knee injury in the first quarter of Friday’s game against Golden State but there’s initial confidence that it’s not serious, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

LaVine was able to retreat to the locker room without assistance after playing four minutes. He was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game. He will have an MRI on Saturday but the injury was described as “discomfort,” with the team erring on the side of caution, Wojnarowski adds.

However, there will be anxiety around the franchise and its fans until the results are revealed. LaVine tore his ACL in the same knee in 2017.

LaVine has enjoyed an outstanding season for Chicago, which owns the best record in the Eastern Conference. He came into the game averaging 25.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 4.3 APG.

If he’s out for any extended period, the Bulls may have to get more aggressive on the trade market. LaVine, who is making $19.5MM this season, is headed to unrestricted free agency this summer.