LaVine out for Bulls' opener with knee injury management originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Zach LaVine will miss the Chicago Bulls' regular season opener against the Heat in Miami Wednesday night, according to the team's PR.
The reason for LaVine's absence is officially listed as "left knee injury management."
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LaVine underwent arthroscopic surgery on the knee following the conclusion of the 2022 playoffs after experiencing nagging soreness in the area down the stretch of last season. That surgery required rehab and limited his ability to train in 5-on-5 settings as he normally would have in the summer.
While LaVine reported feeling well physically in Bulls training camp, he told reporters in Miami that he has not suffered a setback and reiterated that this is a part of managing the ailment.
He also told reporters on Wednesday that his status for this Friday's game at the Washington Wizards is not yet decided. That game marks the front end of a road-home back-to-back that concludes with the Bulls' home opener against the Cavaliers on Saturday.
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LaVine played in three of the Bulls four preseason games, sitting out the finale and averaging 21.8 minutes in the exhibition slate. He checked out at halftime in the opener, then played into the third quarter of games two and three.
LaVine in the offseason inked a five-year, $215 million max contract with the Bulls. He has earned All-Star selections in each of the last two seasons.
