More on Wendell Carter Injury
Darnell Mayberry: Wendell Carter Jr. says he can take off the cast in about 10 days and resume workouts with a splint on his thumb. pic.twitter.com/Mc2owL6KEC
Joe Cowley: Carter Jr. had the surgery on his left thumb this morning and all went well. He will miss 8-12 weeks, which could cost him the season.
Shams Charania: Bulls rookie Wendell Carter Jr. plans to undergo surgery on his left thumb on Monday, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @WatchStadium. He will be sidelined up to three months.
Malika Andrews: Jim Boylen said that Wendell Carter’s surgery has not been scheduled yet.
The roller-coaster week for rookie Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. continued Friday when a follow-up examination on his injured left thumb revealed ligament damage, which the team has recommended surgery to address. The Bulls estimated his recovery and “return to sport time” at eight to 12 weeks. That likely would end Carter’s promising rookie season if he has the surgery, which a source said is almost certainly his plan.
After Carter visited Bulls hand specialists Friday, the team said in a release that Drs. John Fernandez and Mark Cohen used “repeat physical examination” and “testing under live fluoroscopic XR” to determine instability in the ligament. “We thought we needed him to see our people,” coach Jim Boylen said.
“If you look at it, we’ve lost two of our best defenders in the Justin Holiday trade and Wendell Carter being hurt,” Boylen said. “Somebody is going to have to step up. That’s what we’re preaching. Play those minutes with physicality. We’re desperately seeking more physical play. And maybe our most physical guy is hurt.”
KC Johnson: It should be noted that the Bulls still will shop Robin Lopez and Jabari Parker in advance of the Feb. 7 trade deadline, even with news of Wendell Carter Jr. injury and likely surgery. If they find deals, Cristiano Felicio or small lineup always can be used.
Shams Charania: Chicago Bulls rookie Wendell Carter Jr. is expected to undergo surgery on his left thumb and miss 8-to-12 weeks.
Malika Andrews: Rookie big man Wendell Carter Jr. may need surgery on his thumb, but the Bulls are still awaiting further test results before proceeding, a league source told espn. @KC Johnson first reported.
A follow-up MRI exam Wednesday led Carter and the Bulls to believe the ligament was largely intact, and he was listed as day to day. Carter even tested his thumb at Thursday’s morning shootaround in Denver and vowed to play Saturday against the Heat at the United Center. But the follow-up exam Friday showed ligament damage that the first imaging didn’t detect. ... Carter is still considering his options, and it’s not certain he’ll need surgery or how long he’ll be sidelined.
KC Johnson: Jim Boylen said Wendell Carter has sprained left thumb and is out vs. Nuggets but day-to-day.
