Chicago Bulls star now expected to miss rest of season

Things are going from bad to worse for Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls announced Saturday that LaVine has elected to undergo season-ending surgery on his injured right foot. The decision was made along with LaVine’s agency, Klutch Sports, in consultation with the Bulls medical staff.

According to the team, LaVine is facing a recovery timeline of 4-to-6 months.

LaVine has not played since Jan. 18, when he sprained his right ankle. At the time, the injury was not thought to be serious, but the new issue led to a flare-up of LaVine’s long-standing foot issues. Presumably, this surgery is an effort to correct that problem once and for all.

For the 23-26 Bulls, the biggest ramification of this injury is likely an off-court one. LaVine had been a prominent trade chip for several months and while his market has not appeared robust, he was still linked to a number of teams. The Bulls had hoped to get at least one solid piece for him, but that is almost certainly off the table now.

In 25 games this season, LaVine averaged 19.5 points per game, good for second on the team.