Bulls' Big Summer Gamble Backfires as Claxton Ruled "Out Awhile"

The Chicago Bulls' boldest summer move is already testing their patience. New head coach Tiago Splitter told reporters at Tuesday's practice that starting center Nicolas Claxton will be "out awhile," extending an absence that has already kept the big man out of the entire preseason with a hamstring injury.

Chicago gave up its league-leading salary cap space to land Claxton as the anchor of its new-look frontcourt, betting the 27-year-old could rediscover the two-way form he showed in Brooklyn. Instead, the Bulls have yet to see him on the floor in a competitive setting, and Splitter offered no firm timeline for his return.

The setback is a worrying one for a franchise that punted on cap flexibility to fill the center spot now rather than later. With the regular season approaching, Chicago must decide how to cover the position in the interim while Claxton rehabs. For a team banking on a defensive revival under a new coach, losing its projected starting center before opening night is the worst possible start.