The Chicago Bulls suffer a season-ending blow as Zach Collins undergoes surgery, while Jaden Ivey faces a two-week absence due to knee soreness.
The Chicago Bulls issued injury updates before Saturday night's game against Detroit at the United Center. Zach Collins, who has been absent since Dec. 27 with a right toe sprain, underwent further evaluation by training and medical professionals. He will undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the season.
Jaden Ivey, who was DNP'd during Thursday's 110-101 loss to Toronto, will be reevaluated in two weeks due to left knee soreness. The guard acquired in February's trade deadline flurry will miss at least seven games before reassessment.
Losing Collins represents a significant hit to the Bulls' frontcourt depth and defensive presence in the paint. Collins appeared in only 10 games this season, averaging 9.7 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 42.9% from three-point range. His versatility and size helped Chicago profoundly on both ends of the floor — exactly what they desperately needed in their undersized rotation.
Though Ivey explicitly said Thursday that his prime form had vanished, with Billy Donovan also agreeing reluctantly, this injury represents another setback for a player who finally seemed to be finding his footing. He averaged 8.2 points and 1.6 assists with Detroit before the trade, then took a noticeable jump across four games with Chicago, posting 11.5 points and 4.0 assists per game. He looked like a genuine fit for the Bulls, providing bench firepower with the capability to crack the starting lineup when needed.
The lone bright side is that Ivey's absence provides rotation flexibility. After Thursday's loss, assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. expressed his struggle managing six guards. Now, losing Ivey temporarily creates breathing room for distributing minutes more sensibly among the remaining backcourt players.