Zach LaVine injury update
Feb 1, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine (8) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) during the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze

The Chicago Bulls plan to re-sign Zach LaVine to a long-term extension and build the franchise around the athletic guard, according to reports. LaVine, nursing a left ACL injury, will become a Restricted Free Agent (RFA) next July. Bulls have the option of extending LaVine's rookie-scale contract before Monday's deadline.

The Bulls acquired LaVine from the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of the blockbuster Jimmy Butler trade that also fetched them rookie forward Lauri Markkanen and second-year point guard Kris Dunn. LaVine won't be ready for action when the Bulls play their season opener against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday. And yet the Bulls have made it clear that barring an unexpected setback in LaVine's comeback from ACL surgery, re-signing the shooting guard is top priority, according to The Chicago Tribune.

Zach LaVine hoping to return by November

LaVine is projected to be cleared for contact drills in November, nearly nine months after he tore his left ACL in a defeat against the Detroit Pistons. Fred Hoiberg, coach of the Bulls, plans to ease LaVine back into the fold. "The big focus right now is on his rehab. He hasn't even started doing the 5-on-0 stuff yet. He's doing a lot of unpredictable movements, but a lot of that is 1-on-9 workouts," Hoiberg told reporters after Sunday's practice session.

The Bulls underwent a major transformation in the offseason with the exits of Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo and Jimmy Butler. And Hoiberg intends to make LaVine the team's go-to scorer in the near future.

"I'm very excited about Zach. You can tell how much he wants to be out there with our guys. Every day he comes in and says, 'Coach, I'm ready to go out there.' But it's a process. We have to make sure he's 100 percent healthy, even though he feels no symptoms right now. He's got no soreness in that leg. But he can't wait, his teammates can't wait and the staff obviously is very excited to get him back."

Zach LaVine averaged a career-high tally of 18.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in his third season for the Timberwolves. Many experts expect the shooting guard to become an All-Star calibre player in the future. LaVine, a former UCLA standout, is already a two-time winner of the annual NBA Slam Dunk Contest.