When the Chicago Bulls traded Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves in return for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen, Bulls fans knew the success of the deal would largely depend on Zach LaVine’s health.
At the time of the trade, LaVine was still recovering from a torn ACL. For players that rely on explosiveness and athleticism, knee injuries are always unsettling. When LaVine returned to the court in 2018, it was pretty obvious that he wasn’t himself yet. He only played 24 games in the 2017-18 season, but most of those games didn’t go all that well.