Nic Claxton was brought in to be the Bulls' starting centre, so his hamstring injury wasn't part of the plan. But it could give Chicago an early look at a lineup that, in my opinion, makes more sense for the players they're building around.

I'd start Jalen Smith over Claxton, even when both are healthy.

Claxton is the better defensive centre, but the Bulls need to consider how their starting five fits together offensively. With Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson already in the picture, Smith's shooting could be more valuable than the additional rim protection Claxton provides.

The interesting part isn't just that Smith can shoot threes. It's how that changes the roles of everyone around him.

Giddey is at his best when he can get into the paint, force defenders to help and find teammates cutting to the basket. The problem with pairing him with Claxton is that opposing centres can afford to stay closer to the rim. Claxton is a dangerous roll man and lob target, but the offence becomes easier to read when the defence can concentrate its attention around the basket.

Smith shot 37.3% from three-point range in the 2025–26 season on 4.2 attempts per game. That gives opposing centres a reason to follow him away from the paint, creating more room for Giddey to operate.

But the bigger opportunity is what happens when that space is available to Wilson and Buzelis.

Both have the athleticism and length to punish defences with cuts, rolls and lobs. With Smith pulling the opposing centre away from the basket, Giddey has more opportunities to find either player attacking the rim. Instead of relying primarily on Claxton as the team's lob threat, Chicago could have two athletic forwards capable of finishing above the rim.

That's a different kind of offensive threat. Defences would have to account for Smith on the perimeter while also keeping track of Wilson and Buzelis cutting behind them. Help off Smith and he can shoot. Lose track of the forwards and Giddey can find them at the rim.

Smith doesn't just create space. He gives Giddey more options for how to exploit it.

Wilson's college numbers suggest the Bulls should initially lean into his interior scoring rather than expect him to become a reliable perimeter shooter immediately.

He shot 72.7% at the rim, 44.2% from short midrange and 44.6% from long midrange, but just 26.1% from three. The sample is limited, so those figures aren't a definitive prediction of his NBA performance. They do, however, offer a useful guide to his current strengths.

Wilson's finishing and midrange touch give Chicago plenty to work with. Get him moving towards the basket, let him attack gaps in the defence and give him opportunities in transition. Smith's shooting can help create the room to do that without forcing Wilson to spend possessions standing in the corner to compensate for a congested paint.

It also gives Wilson time to develop his own perimeter game. If his shooting improves, the Bulls gain another dimension to the offence. If it takes time, they can still use him effectively in the areas where he has already shown promise.

Buzelis benefits from the same arrangement. He needs room to attack closeouts and use his athleticism, rather than constantly encountering a second defender waiting near the basket.

With Smith at centre, Chicago has a better chance of developing both players without sacrificing the space they need to be effective.

There's another reason I prefer Smith: Claxton's most natural offensive role overlaps with what Giddey already brings to the team.

Claxton can screen, roll, finish lobs and facilitate from around the basket. Those are valuable skills, but Giddey is already the primary playmaker and offensive hub. The Bulls don't necessarily need to funnel additional possessions through another player whose greatest offensive value comes from operating near the rim.

Smith offers a different fit. He can finish inside when the opportunity is there, but he doesn't need to occupy the same space as Giddey or become a central part of the playmaking structure. His shooting gives Giddey more room to create, while Powell remains the established perimeter scorer and Wilson and Buzelis can attack the openings.

This isn't an argument that Claxton can't play alongside Giddey. It's that Smith gives the offence a complementary skill set rather than adding another player whose strengths are concentrated around the basket.

Claxton's defensive value is real. In 2025–26, opponents shot 57.4% on shots at the rim when he defended them, compared with a league average of 65.3%. He's a proven rim deterrent, and Smith doesn't offer the same level of established protection.

But the Bulls have the potential to build their interior defence around more than one player.

Wilson and Buzelis both possess the length and athleticism to provide weakside help and block shots. That won't make either of them a replacement for Claxton, and it remains to be seen how consistently they can provide that help at NBA level. Still, their presence gives Chicago another source of rim protection when opponents get past the initial defender.

Smith can also contribute on the glass. He averaged 6.7 rebounds in 20.7 minutes per game last season, while Claxton averaged 6.9 in 27.8 minutes. The minutes difference matters, but Smith has shown he can provide useful rebounding alongside his shooting.

Some broader defensive-impact models have also rated Smith competitively against Claxton, although the results vary by metric. Claxton has the stronger case for rim deterrence and shot-blocking, but that doesn't automatically make him the better fit in every lineup.

For me, the question is whether the Bulls can offset some of Claxton's defensive advantage through team defence while gaining more from Smith's offensive fit. With Wilson and Buzelis capable of contributing as weakside defenders, I think that is a trade-off worth making.

Claxton will still have an important role. Against teams with dominant interior scorers, his rim protection could make him the better option, and his ability to finish around the basket gives Chicago another way to attack.

But I wouldn't automatically restore him to the starting lineup just because he was acquired to be the starter.

The Bulls need to find out what works best around Giddey, Powell, Buzelis and Wilson. Smith gives them a centre who can stretch the floor, finish inside and make life more difficult for opposing defences without taking the ball out of Giddey's hands.

More importantly, his shooting creates opportunities for both Wilson and Buzelis to attack the rim. That is the part of this discussion I find most compelling. Claxton offers a clear lob threat, but Smith could help turn two athletic forwards into additional threats in the same space, while also opening up driving lanes for Giddey.

I'd start Jalen Smith. Claxton may be the better individual defender, but the Bulls don't need to choose their centre based solely on who protects the rim best. They need to consider which player makes their young core more effective.

If Smith's shooting allows Giddey to create more freely, gives Wilson room to develop and lets Buzelis use his athleticism more effectively, then the offensive benefits could outweigh a modest defensive downgrade—particularly if the forwards can help cover the rim.

Claxton's injury might have disrupted Chicago's plans, but it could also reveal that the best starting centre for this group was already on the roster.