Chicago Bulls Center Sidelined Two Weeks With Hamstring Injury

Bryson Graham's first big move this offseason as the new executive vice president of basketball operations for the Chicago Bulls was to acquire center Nic Claxton. The NBA preseason begins on Wednesday night, but Bulls fans will have to wait a little longer before they can see Claxton take the floor for Chicago.

Head coach Tiago Splitter announced on Monday that Claxton tweaked his hamstring and will be reevaluated in two weeks.

At minimum, that sidelines Claxton for the entire preseason. The Bulls open their slate on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns, they play against the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 9, the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 11, the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 14 and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 16.

Claxton's window would open on Monday, Oct. 19, ahead of the Bulls' regular season opener on Wednesday, Oct. 21, in Toronto.

With Claxton sidelined, the Bulls' frontcourt depth appears limited. Either Jalen Smith or Zach Collins would be in line to start, with the other coming off the bench. Two-way rookie Tobe Awaka, whom the team signed as an undrafted free agent out of Arizona, projects to be the Bulls' third-string center.

Splitter also revealed that the Bulls' starting lineup in their preseason matchup against the Suns would feature Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson and a center.

Chicago acquired Claxton in June as part of a three-team trade with the Timberwolves and the Brooklyn Nets. The 6-foot-11, 27-year-old big man was largely a salary dump to get Julius Randle to Brooklyn, so the Bulls were able to use their cap space to absorb Claxton's contract without surrendering significant assets.

Claxton played 69 games for the Nets last season, his seventh in the NBA. He averaged 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 blocks per game in 2025-26 and made 57.1% of his shot attempts. Claxton's production has dipped in recent seasons; the best year of his career was 2022-23, when he averaged 12.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game on 70.5% shooting.

Although he has dealt with back injuries in the past, Claxton has not been significantly limited by his hamstrings. In 2024-25, Claxton missed one game due to hamstring tightness two separate times. Two years prior, the issue caused him to miss three games. Claxton's longest absence was in 2021-22, when he was out for 12 games.

The Bulls have Claxton under contract for two more seasons. They are set to play him $23.3 million this year and $21.1 million next year before Claxton hits unrestricted free agency in 2028.