PORTLAND, Ore. — Bulls coach Billy Donovan has conversations with injured guard Zach LaVine almost daily.
The main topic of those talks? That’s where Donovan treads lightly. He made it clear Sunday that talking about trade rumors with LaVine hasn’t been on the table.
‘‘I haven’t talked to him about anything with the rumor piece of it,’’ Donovan said before the Bulls’ game against the Trail Blazers. ‘‘I would just guess that with him being in the league for 10 years that these things would kind of happen. My talks with him have been more centered around his frustration with being out.’’
After sitting out the Bulls’ game against the Blazers, LaVine has missed 21 of the last 28 games the team has played. In his absence and thanks to the 104-96 win over Portland, the Bulls (22-25) have gone 12-9 in those games without their max contract player.
The question that continues hovering over the Bulls, however, remains whether LaVine has played his last game for them. It’s an unknown that even Donovan hasn’t been able to speculate on.
Donovan talks with executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas frequently, and Karnisovas was with the Bulls on their road trip before leaving after the game Thursday against the Lakers. But all Donovan knew was that the Bulls were scheduled to have another meeting this week leading up to the trade deadline Feb. 8.
Where does that leave LaVine? Donovan said he wouldn’t concern himself with that until trade rumors turn into serious talks.
‘‘I’m more interested when there’s things coming to the table with, ‘What do you think about this player?’ ’’ Donovan said of his role.
According to a source, the Bulls aren’t close to that point in talks about LaVine.
After a market that had been all but silent for months, there was some smoke around the Bulls and Pistons talking about a package involving LaVine, but those talks still sounded preliminary. What the Bulls don’t want to do is just give LaVine away, especially if a playoff contender loses a scoring guard to injury in the next week and needs help.
But LaVine’s injured right foot complicates things. Donovan reiterated that LaVine hasn’t gone through any basketball activities since being shut down again and that he spent most of this trip getting treatment.
There is a good chance LaVine won’t play before the trade deadline, which could put teams in a ‘‘buyer beware’’ situation.
All Donovan can do for LaVine on his road to recovery is be a sounding board.
‘‘I don’t want to use the word ‘venting’ because that would be too strong, but just the disappointment of, ‘Man, I can’t catch a break,’ ’’ Donovan said. ‘‘He just wants to be out there. He’s probably missed half the year or close to it. I think it comes from a good place, my talks [with him].’’
Donovan’s team ended in a good place Sunday, holding off a pesky Trail Blazers team thanks to a clutch three by Ayo Dosunmu with 21 seconds left that turned a three-point nail-biter into a more comfortable eight-point win.
“Of course it means a lot because in the NBA any win is hard to win,” Dosunmu said of his shot. “It’s the best league in the world, you have so many talented players each and every night. It also feel good because of the work I put into it. Vooch (Nikola Vucevic) trusted me (with the pass).
“In that instance you try not to think. Just trust your instincts and go out and play. That’s how I was, I was free.”
The Bulls finished with six players in double figures led by DeMar DeRozan’s 20, as well as getting a sneaky 11 from rookie Julian Phillips.