The Chicago Bulls could be without forward Lauri Markkanen for the first two months of the new season.
The former ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats standout injured his right elbow during practice Thursday, and an MRI today showed Markkanen suffered a high grade lateral elbow sprain. The Athletic's Shams Charania first reported Markkanen's injury.
Chicago's Lauri Markkanen will miss up to two months with a high grade right elbow sprain.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania)
The Bulls expect Markkanen to miss six to eight weeks, placing him on track to return sometime in November. Chicago opens its preseason schedule Sunday against New Orleans and its regular season on Oct. 18 at Philadelphia.Â
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The Bulls host Phoenix on Nov. 21.
The Minnesota Timberwolves drafted Markkanen with the seventh overall selection in the 2017 draft, then traded him to the Bulls in a package that also sent Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine to Chicago for Jimmy Butler and Justin Patton.
Markkanen made quick work establishing himself as one of the league's top prospects, needing only 41 games to become the fastest player in league history with 100 3-pointers.
He averaged 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds and shot 43.4 percent from the floor as a rookie. Markkanen is due to make $4.5 million with the Bulls in 2018-19.
