Zach LaVine exits with knee injury; Bulls hopeful it's not serious

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, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

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” and the team is 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 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.

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