Lonzo Ball is expected to begin running again in January as he begins his next step in a nearly two-year-long rehab process from a knee injury.

Ball underwent a cartilage transplant in March. No player have undergone the procedure and ever returned to the NBA.

Ball is not expected to return to game action until the 24-25 season and even that is a major uncertainty. 

“Everything they’ve done in terms of progressing him he’s handled very well,” Billy Donovan said. “The pain that he was experiencing that was causing the setback I think has been eliminated in terms of what he’s doing now — but he hasn’t run. The next progression for him will be to start running and that will be here in January.”

Ball tore his meniscus on January 14, 2022. Ball underwent surgery and was expected back in time for the playoffs. 

The Chicago Bulls have played well without Zach Lavine, who remains out with right foot soreness. The Bulls and LaVine are interested in parting ways in a trade, but his market has continued to be slow to materialize. 

"The Zach LaVine market is still barren - especially with him working his way back from an injury," wrote Adrian Wojnarowski on Threads.

LaVine is in Year 2 of a five-year, $215 million deal.

The Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers have been two teams linked with LaVine, but neither seems eager to give up a significant return for him.

Nikola Vucevic is out indefinitely with a strained left groin.

Vucevic had an MRI exam after suffering the injury in Saturday's loss by the Chicago Bulls to the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

"A lot of it is going to be how he responds to rehab," Donovan told reporters. "He obviously was pretty sore after [Saturday's] game and obviously over Christmas."

The Philadelphia 76ers have been linked to Zach LaVine since it was reported that the Chicago Bulls guard wanted a trade. However, the Sixers don't seem all that interested in trading for LaVine.

Philadelphia is said to be prioritizing players who play on both ends of the floor. The 76ers also want to maintain some cap flexibility.

LaVine is a notable offensive player but has never been lauded for his defensive ability. He's also owed $40.1 million this season, which is a difficult salary to match in trade. Beyond this season, LaVine is owed nearly $138 million over the next three seasons. That makes trading for him a significant investment via trade (in terms of players and draft capital) and on the cap sheet.

Zach LaVine wants a trade from the Chicago Bulls. Depending on who you believe, LaVine may or may not have his sights set on the Los Angeles Lakers as his next team. For their part, the Lakers are reportedly interested in LaVine, provided they can center a trade around D'Angelo Russell.

One challenge in trading for LaVine is matching his $40.1 million salary in a deal. For the Lakers, that would likely start with Russell and his $17.3 million contract. The Lakers would need to add other players to a deal for LaVine. That would likely involve Rui Hachimura ($15.7 million) or, less likely, Austin Reaves ($12 million) to match salary for the Bulls star.

If either Hachimura or Reaves is involved in a trade, it will have to wait until January 15 to be completed. Because both players were signed with Bird right and got big enough raises over their prior salaries, the Lakers can't trade them until January 15.

As for Russell, he waived his ability to block a trade as part of re-signing with Los Angeles this past summer. It's been expected since Russell re-signed that if the Lakers make a significant trade that he would be a part of it.

Torrey Craig will miss the next 8-10 weeks due to a sprained foot, the Chicago Bulls announced.

Craig, who underwent an MRI, suffered the injury on Saturday.

Craig will require four weeks of an immobilization period, then 4-6 weeks of rehab. 

Rich Paul pushed back on the narrative that he's trying to get Zach LaVine to the Los Angeles Lakers as a trade from the Chicago Bulls appears inevitable. Paul represents four players on the Lakers, including LeBron James, and there's an ongoing narrative that Klutch Sports prioritizes the franchise and has an outsized influence.

“It’s not one team,” Paul told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “I don’t have a specific destination for Zach. I want what’s best for Zach and his family. When you have a guy playing the game, you want him to be able to play the game happy, whether that’s in Chicago or somewhere else.”

LaVine hasn’t played since Nov. 28 because of inflammation in his right foot and is expected to miss several more weeks.

“In the event the Bulls decide they would like to go a different direction with the team, and it involves Zach, then I’m sure we’ll have conversations to get clarity on what’s best for both sides,” Paul said. “Until then, the goal is to get healthy and return ready to go.”

Beyond the Lakers, the Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings have been mentioned as possible teams for LaVine.

DeMar DeRozan is in the final year of his three-year contract with the Chicago Bulls. He's eligible to sign an extension, but those talks have stalled between DeRozan and the Bulls.

For his part, DeRozan says he doesn't worry about contract talks or trade rumors during the season. The veteran wing leaves that stuff for others to take care of.

“This is work time,” DeRozan said Saturday. “I don’t want to hear (bleep), to be honest with you. I’ve been with my agent my whole career, and him knowing me like he does, people around me know how I am when it comes down to that kind of stuff. Same thing with family stuff back home. If it isn’t an emergency or something serious, I don’t want to hear about it, I don’t need to know about it.”

DeRozan understands where the questions and rumors come from. But he doesn't want to be a distraction when he and his teammates should be focused on playing basketball.

“I understand what comes with having a rough season or rumors, and that speculation is going to come up everywhere,” DeRozan said. “It comes with this profession. Same with my contract. I’ve never demanded or stated, made accusations, ‘I want this, I need this, I deserve this.’ I just go out and play and let the chips fall where they fall. Tend to my teammates and be the best version of myself that I can be."

The Chicago Bulls are signing forward Henri Drell to a two-way contract. To make room for Drell, the Bulls will waive forward Justin Lewis.

Drell has played for the Windy City Bulls of the G League for the last three seasons. The 6-foot-9 Estonian has averaged 7.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game over those three seasons.

Lewis has yet to appear in NBA game, despite spending two seasons with the Bulls. He missed the entirety of the 2022-23 season while rehabbing from a torn ACL. Lewis has averaged 5.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in 12 games for Windy City this season.

The Chicago Bulls have pitched the Cleveland Cavaliers on a potential trade built around Zach LaVine for Darius Garland, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

The Bulls began to gauge LaVine's trade value during the offseason and are said to be seeking an established starter, plus a young player with upside and first round draft pick capital for LaVine if they cannot deal him for another star.

Garland is signed with the Cavaliers until 2028, while the future of Donovan Mitchell with the franchise is less certain. LaVine would give the Cleveland backcourt more size, albeit at an older age and larger contract.