Ahead of Wednesday's matchup with the Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan offered a positive update on All-Star guard Zach LaVine following LaVine's trip to Los Angeles to see a specialist about lingering soreness in his left knee.
"It went very well," Donovan said of the appointment. "He (LaVine) did have some swelling that was taken out of the knee. (The doctors) gave him a lubricant to help him. I think right now the doctors feel totally fine with him resuming playing."
LaVine had been experiencing discomfort, and sporadic swelling, in the knee for weeks, to the point that the Bulls conducted an MRI on it on Jan. 15.
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While that MRI revealed no structural damage, this, remember, is the same knee in which LaVine tore his ACL in February 2017. The Los Angeles specialist was the same doctor that treated that injury five years ago. Add in that, after the Kings game, LaVine will have missed the team's final three contests ahead of the All-Star break, and there was cause for concern.
But other than draining fluid from the affected area — to reduce swelling — applying that lubricant, and ironing out a 48-hour rest plan, the Bulls don't expect LaVine's absence to endure.
And, importantly, LaVine is in a positive state of mind.
"I think Zach felt very, very good about the meeting," Donovan said. "It's probably going to be about 48 hours before he can kind of do any activity, really. But he should be able to resume activity after that."
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That means LaVine is cleared to participate in the 3-point contest and All-Star game in Cleveland this upcoming weekend, though Donovan said there will be a consultation between the outside specialist and the Bulls' medical staff.
"I don't think Zach has any expectation to try to go to an All-Star game and play 30 minutes, I don't think that. But certainly it's a great honor for him to be able to do that the second year. He is healthy to play," Donovan said. "When the season, after tonight, resumes (on Feb. 24) we expect to have him back."
Donovan did caution the Bulls will manage LaVine carefully down the stretch. Monitoring symptoms on a nightly basis, and potentially limiting him on back-to-backs, will be a part of that.
But the big picture is a dodged bullet for a Bulls team with deep postseason aspirations, and an ever-growing injured list.
"I spoke to him late morning, early afternoon. He was in really good spirits," Donovan said. "And felt like it was a really, really good visit, and feels, I think, in a good place mentally, you know, that he'll be ready to go."