The Chicago Bulls announced Friday that second-year power forward Lauri Markkanen will miss six-to-eight weeks with a high-grade lateral right elbow sprain, a big blow to the franchise. Markkanen sustained the elbow injury in Thursday's practice and an MRI Friday confirmed the injury.
Markkanen won't require surgery, but he will need to keep the elbow immobilized for about a month, according to vice president of basketball operations John Paxson.
Speaking to reporters Saturday about the ailment, Markkanen said it's a minor setback. The 21-year-old vows to be the same impact player once he returns to the court.
“It’s a minor setback,” Markkanen said, via K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. “I’m just ready to get back to work. Hopefully, I can be even a little better than I am right now. You can always improve other things.
“I know my shot is going to be there. I’m not worried about that. Now I can work on my lefty a little bit. Obviously, it’s disappointing to be out. It’s such a long offseason and I worked hard and was just ready to play basketball again. I want to be out there for the guys. It just felt like now we have all the guys healthy and we were ready to get into it. So that’s why it’s more disappointing. I don’t know how long it’s going to take, but I’m going to be right back.”
The Bulls acquired the draft rights to Lauri Markkanen in the Jimmy Butler trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the summer of 2017, along with Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine. Markkanen averaged 15.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game during his rookie year last season. He shot 43.4 percent from the field, 36.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 84.3 percent from the free-throw line. The sharpshooter made the All-Rookie first-team and has become a fan favorite in Chicago.
Markkanen could return to the lineup around Thanksgiving. The Bulls will need LaVine, Dunn, and Jabari Parker to step their games up while Markkanen is sidelined.
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