Nic Claxton will be sidelined for at least two weeks with a hamstring injury, Chicago coach Tiago Splitter told reporters on Monday, leaving the Bulls without their expected starting centre for the preseason and his opening-night availability unresolved.
The update, delivered on 5 October, puts Claxton’s reevaluation around 19 October — just two days before Chicago opens its regular season at Toronto on 21 October. For a new centre learning a new team, the immediate cost is lost preparation time. For fantasy managers, it is uncertainty over whether he will be available when the games start counting.
NBC Sports reported Splitter’s update via Chicago Sports Network insider K.C. Johnson. Sportsnet also reported the minimum two-week absence, while CBS Sports cited Bulls Radio Network broadcaster Chuck Swirsky on the injury and reevaluation timetable.
Reevaluation is not a return date
The distinction matters: Claxton is due to be assessed again in two weeks, not automatically cleared to play then.
Chicago’s five-game preseason runs from 7–16 October, so the reported timetable takes him through the entire exhibition schedule. His status for Toronto remains uncertain; the update does not establish that he will miss the opener, nor does it promise that he will be ready.
The reporting does not establish an injury grade or a firm return date. There is therefore no basis to turn this into a prediction of a longer absence. The next meaningful development is whether the Bulls clear him to resume basketball activity and, ultimately, game action.
Chicago loses time with its new centre
Claxton joined Chicago from Brooklyn during the off-season and is expected to anchor the starting lineup at centre. Sportsnet reports that he averaged 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 blocks across 69 games last season.
His fit matters beyond those numbers. As a screen-and-roll option alongside Josh Giddey, Claxton gives Chicago a way to attack the basket while providing size on the defensive end. Missing the preseason removes the chance to develop that combination in exhibition games before the regular season begins.
According to Bulls On SI’s training-camp reporting, Splitter named Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson as starters for the preseason opener against Phoenix, but did not identify the centre who would complete that group.
Jalen Smith is the leading replacement candidate identified by NBC Sports. That is a projected opportunity, not a confirmed starting assignment or a guarantee of regular-season minutes.
Fantasy: monitor Smith, keep Claxton’s timeline open
Smith belongs on deeper-league watchlists, particularly if Claxton’s absence extends into the regular season. His preseason role should help managers assess how Chicago intends to cover the position.
For Claxton managers, the practical move is to prepare an opening-week alternative rather than assume either availability or a lengthy lay-off. A reevaluation shortly before the opener leaves little certainty for early lineup decisions.
The confirmed setback is a lost preseason. Any regular-season absence still depends on his recovery and Chicago’s next update.
Comments