To say that the Chicago Bulls have been on the struggle bus of late would be a massive understatement, as the team is currently on a massive 10-game losing streak. Through it all, the Bulls have dealt with numerous injuries, and the team once again has a crowded injury report ahead of Thursday evening's clash against the Portland Trail Blazers.
For this game, Jaden Ivey will be out due to Left Patellofemoral pain syndrome, while Anfernee Simons will also be sidelined with a left ulnar styloid fracture. Meanwhile, backup big man Jalen Smith is listed as doubtful due to a right calf strain, while Patrick Williams is also doubtful due to a right quadriceps strain.
Zach Collins will remain out of the lineup after recently undergoing surgery.
The Bulls have gotten some injury reinforcements in recent weeks, with Josh Giddey returning from a hamstring injury and working back into his normal amount of minutes per night, but it still hasn't done anything to stop the Bulls' hemorrhaging over the last ten games, which has sent them well below the play-in line in the Eastern Conference.
At this point, some Bulls fans are already turning their attention to the upcoming NBA Draft lottery, with many projecting the 2026 class to be one of the most talented in years. Chicago could certainly benefit from adding a blue-chip prospect to slide in alongside Giddey and Matas Buzelis to build around moving forward.
Meanwhile, the Bulls' logjam of backcourt players that they assembled at the trade deadline has yielded predictably disastrous results, although that chaos has been cleared up at the moment due to the injuries to Simons and Ivey.
In any case, the Bulls and Trail Blazers are slated to tip off at 8:00 pm ET on Thursday evening from the United Center in Chicago.
