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The Chicago Bulls' frontcourt has been decimated by injuries throughout the 2019-20 season. Luke Kornet is the latest name added to that list as the team announced Thursday that Kornet will miss the next 6-8 weeks due to a left foot and ankle injury that he sustained last week during practice.
Bulls center Luke Kornet will miss 6-8 weeks after sustaining a left foot and ankle injury in practice on Feb. 21. The team announces that further testing reveals a severe ankle sprain and fracture of his fifth metatarsal.
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) February 27, 2020
Luke Kornet will be out 6-8 weeks with a foot & ankle injury.
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 27, 2020
With approximately six weeks remaining in the regular season, Kornet's injury likely means that he is done for the year, barring a late flurry of wins that allows the Bulls to snag the No. 7 or 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
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In his first season with the Bulls, Kornet has averaged 6.0 points and 2.3 rebounds across 36 games, 14 of which have been starts. Kornet has lately been forced into starting duties due to the ailments that have sidelined Lauri Markkanen (ankle), Wendell Carter Jr. (ankle), Otto Porter Jr. (foot) and Chandler Hutchison (shoulder).
A rare seven-footer who does the vast majority of his offensive work behind the three-point line, Kornet gained notoriety last season during his brief stint as a starter for the New York Knicks, where he averaged seven points per game. That success led to Chicago inking Kornet to a two-year, $4.5 million deal this summer.
Prior to sustaining this injury, Kornet had started each of the Bulls' past 14 games. With Markkanen and Carter still unavailable, center duties will likely be turned over to Daniel Gafford and Cristiano Felicio for the remainder of the season. With Kornet among the starting five, Chicago went just 4-10, as they have won just once dating back to Jan. 27.
