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Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine has reportedly entered the NBA's COVID protocols, NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson reports.
The Bulls currently have nine players in protocols, including LaVine, Coby White, Javonte Green, DeMar DeRozan, Matt Thomas, Derrick Jones Jr., Ayo Dosunmu, Stanley Johnson, and Troy Brown Jr. and broadcasters Stacey King and Bill Wennington, as of Sunday (December 12).
Chicago has nine eligible players as of Sunday: Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Tony Bradley, Alize Johnson, Devon Dotson, Tyler Cook, Marko Simonovic and Alfonzo McKinnie, according to Johnson.
The Bulls are currently first in the Eastern Conference Central Division standings and third in the Eastern Conference standings, but coming off back-to-back double-digit losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers (115-92) and Miami Heat (118-92) last week.
Chicago is now reportedly without both of its leading scorers as LaVine (26.0 points per game) enters COVID protocols days after DeRozan (26.4 ppg).
CBS Sports reports DeRozan is "expected to be out until at least December 16," while LaVine is "expected to be out "until at least December 22" in adherence with the NBA's COVID-19 rules and regulations.
White and Green could be eligible to return as early as Tuesday (December 14) if they meet the NBA's COVID guidelines.