Zach LaVine missed his first game of the season for the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday as he sat out the first of four road games with a foot injury.

LaVine described the injury as a midfoot sprain in his right foot. He began to notice pain in his right foot during the first home game against the Miami Heat on Nov. 18, cutting the tape off his foot at halftime in an attempt to alleviate discomfort.

“During the Miami games, it was bugging me,” LaVine said. “Obviously, just trying today, it felt the same if not worse. Did a lot of warmups, a lot of treatment over the last couple of days. It didn’t feel right. Giving it a day, see how it feels. We’ll figure it out and get me feeling better.”

LaVine played through discomfort in the second Miami game on Monday, but said adrenaline kept the injury from inhibiting his movement throughout the game. He averaged 13 points and 5.5 assists across those two games, taking a lower volume of shots than usual as the Heat targeted him with traps.

The Bulls medical staff opted to hold him out of Wednesday’s game as pain persisted. Coach Billy Donovan said LaVine’s availability will be monitored on a game-by-game basis. LaVine said his recovery timeline is “nothing major” and he could return as early as Friday’s game in Toronto.

This is a critical period for LaVine, who has fallen under a harsh spotlight since he reportedly voiced interest in seeking a trade out of Chicago. The week following that initial report has been highlighted by scrutiny, both for his hit-and-miss shooting nights and for an incident when he refused a postgame broadcast interview.

But LaVine shrugged off any concerns about missing games amid trade rumors, focusing instead on his availability for the team.

“I mean, I don’t like sitting out of basketball,” LaVine said. “I’ve missed enough games in my career. I try to play through everything. I could care less if it’s looked at or not. It’s more the fact that I don’t like missing games. That hurts more than anything.”

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