Bulls’ Nic Claxton faces hamstring re-check with opener in Toronto in doubt

Nic Claxton is heading into a Monday hamstring re-check with the Chicago Bulls still unsure whether their new starting center will be available for Wednesday’s season opener in Toronto.

The 27-year-old strained his hamstring early in training camp and did not appear in any of Chicago’s five preseason games. Coach Tiago Splitter first set a minimum two-week window in early October, with a re-evaluation pointed at Monday, October 19. The updates since then have not moved in the right direction. Splitter told reporters on Tuesday that Claxton would be out “a while,” according to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network, and described him as still “a little bit” away from being cleared.

Before Friday’s preseason finale against Minnesota, Splitter said several of his injured players were trending up and singled out Claxton as the exception, CHGO’s Will Gottlieb reported. The Bulls have not ruled him out for the opener, but nothing Chicago has said this week points toward him playing on Wednesday.

Why Claxton matters to Chicago

Chicago brought Claxton in from Brooklyn this offseason to anchor its defense. He spent his first seven seasons with the Nets after going 31st overall in the 2019 draft, and last season he averaged 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and a career-best 3.7 assists in 69 games, shooting 57.1 percent from the field. His passing out of the high post was part of the appeal for a Bulls team that finished 31-51 and 12th in the East last season.

Hamstring strains are soft-tissue injuries that teams tend to handle cautiously, so a re-evaluation date is a checkpoint rather than a return date. The Bulls have every reason not to rush a player they expect to lean on for 82 games.

Who plays center in the meantime

Jalen Smith has taken most of the center minutes in camp and made his case, scoring in double figures against Phoenix and Milwaukee, including a 15-point night in the win over the Bucks. Depth behind him is thin. Zach Collins missed the preseason while working back from his own injury, although Splitter has sounded more hopeful about him, and two-way big Tobe Awaka has been day-to-day with knee inflammation. Chicago has also tried smaller groups with Matas Buzelis and Leonard Miller in the frontcourt.

If Claxton is held out, Smith is the likely starter in Toronto, with Collins in reserve if he is cleared. Claxton’s status, along with every other team’s, is tracked on the WhyNBA injury report.

What comes next

Claxton is due to be re-examined on Monday, October 19. The Bulls open the regular season at the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, October 21, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Follow the game in the Bulls vs. Raptors Game Center.