(670 The Score) The Bulls are getting reinforcements against the Hornets on Friday evening.
Guard Zach LaVine and center Nikola Vucevic will both return to action after being sidelined by injuries recently. LaVine will return after missing the past 17 games due to a right foot sprain, while Vucevic will be back after a groin injury caused him to miss the past five games.
LaVine and Vucevic will both come off the bench and be on minutes restrictions, they told reporters after shootaround Friday morning. LaVine will be limited to 25 to 30 minutes, he said.
"I feel good," LaVine told reporters.
LaVine has been out since Nov. 28. After a platelet-rich plasma injection and weeks of rest to help calm the inflammation, LaVine gradually ramped up and then participated in a series of contact practices with the Windy City Bulls earlier this week.
LaVine has struggled this season in averaging 21.0 points while shooting 44.3%, a pair of figures that are his lowest marks since the 2017-’18 campaign, when he returned midseason after rehabbing a torn ACL.
The Bulls went 10-7 in LaVine’s recent 17-game absence.
LaVine’s return comes at a time that his trade saga continues to hover over the team, with little to no movement in conversations. LaVine and his camp made it known to the Bulls in November that he was open to being traded. While that feels more like an inevitability than a possibility, it remains unclear when a deal could be made. The Bulls haven’t found any offers to their liking so far as the trade deadline looms Feb. 8.
Vucevic is averaging 16.7 points and 10.4 rebounds in 31 games this season.
The Bulls (15-21) and Hornets (8-24) will tip off at 7 p.m. at the United Center. The game can be heard on 670 The Score, with pregame coverage starting at 6:45 p.m.