Bulls' Zach LaVine (knee) out tonight vs. Heat

Zach LaVine averaged 24.4 points and 4.5 assists per game last season for Chicago.

Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine will not be in the lineup for the team’s season-opening road game against the Miami Heat on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass).

The team announced that LaVine will miss the game due to left knee injury management, while Shams Charania of The Athletic reports LaVine may also miss Friday’s road game against the Washington Wizards.

LaVine told reporters Wednesday he is missing the game simply to manage the injury and there is no specific setback in his status.

Sources: Zach LaVine may also miss Friday's game vs. Wizards, with likelihood the two-time All-Star makes his season debut in Saturday's home opener vs. Cleveland. https://t.co/YdRRrgua5y

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 19, 2022

The strange case of Zach LaVine and his knee … in his words …

Yes, he's out tonight for the opener.

Read it:https://t.co/0eS2xjtDlt

— Joe Cowley (@JCowleyHoops) October 19, 2022

A two-time All-Star, LaVine averaged 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 47.6% overall and 38.9% on 3-pointers. He was instrumental in Chicago enjoying its first winning season since 2015-16 as the Bulls went 46-36 and lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs.

Though LaVine enjoyed the kind of season he did, the Olympic gold medalist wasn’t quite as explosive. He had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in May and is looking forward to playing at full strength.

He said when camp opened that he is completely healed, looking forward to playing at full strength and seeing just how far the Bulls can go with expectations high coming off a playoff appearance.

“If they’re not high, then what are we doing here?” LaVine said at the team’s media day. “Our expectations have to be really high. If we’re not thinking we can compete for championships, we’re selling ourselves short.”

In the offseason, LaVine signed a reported five-year max deal worth $215 million to remain with Chicago. His arrival from Minnesota as part of a 2017 draft-night trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves kicked off a rebuilding effort by the previous management regime of John Paxson and Gar Forman. His decision to stay means Chicago’s core — led by LaVine and fellow All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic — remains intact.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.