The Chicago Bulls will head into opening night a tad healthier.
After going through the entirety of the preseason with a short-handed frontcourt, the Bulls have welcomed one big man back to the floor. Tiago Splitter shared on Monday afternoon that Zach Collins was a full participant in practice. It marked the first time such words were uttered in weeks, as Collins came into training camp dealing with a soft tissue injury in his quad.
Whether Collins will suit up for Wednesday night's opener in Toronto remains to be seen. While the center hopes this will be the case, trainers will want to see how his body responds to the ramp-up period over the next two days before making a final call.
Make no mistake, however, Collins is feeling strong and had no restrictions to start the week.
"I'm sure they won't play me 48 minutes, but whether that's 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, I'm not sure. But I feel pretty good to get through whatever they throw at me."
All things considered, this is exactly the update the Bulls were hoping for with the regular season nearing. Jalen Smith has been forced to hold down the fort, and the plan remains for him to start the regular season at the five. Nic Claxton was expected to be the primary starter this regular season, but he has been sidelined since early in training camp with a hamstring injury.
Collins' return will give the Bulls a bigger and more physical body to throw in the post, let alone someone who is a capable floor spacer. With so many long and athletic wings on the roster, the more bigs that can play along the perimeter, the better.
Nevertheless, this team is trying to build a defensive identity, and this has been Claxton's bread-and-butter throughout his career. The longer he is out of the mix, the harder it might be for this team to adequately protect the rim.
For what it's worth, Splitter did provide an update on Claxton, though it was not the kind Bulls fans want to hear.
Sep 28, 2026; Chiacgo, Il, USA; Chicago Bulls center Nic Claxton (9) poses during media day. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Nic Claxton could be seen doing some stationary shooting near the free throw line after Chicago Bulls practice on Monday. He was in sweats and a long sleeve shirt.
Tiago Splitter confirmed that Claxton will not be available for the team's season opener in Toronto. To be sure, this was expected after the Bulls initially announced a two-week reevaluation window for Claxton earlier this month. Even if he was given the green light to return to on-court work today, which marked his reevaluation date, he would almost certainly need a ramp-up period.
Regardless, Splitter shared that it will be a couple more weeks before Claxton is part of this Bulls' rotation. The plan is for him to slowly take on more work, but fans shouldn't expect some kind of quick turnaround.
"It's probably another two weeks," Splitter said at the Advocate Center. "But, again, he's going to start to work more and more and see slowly where he can play. First, he has to be able to practice with the team and go full speed, so still got a couple of weeks."
While there isn't necessarily a rush to get Claxton back on the court, especially this early in the year, Claxton's absence will only make things harder on a young Bulls team. He was brought in this offseason to serve as one of a select few veteran leaders. Likewise, the longer he is stuck in street clothes, the more challenging it may be for the Bulls to truly establish their preferred style of play.
Defensively, the Bulls are planning to play a far more aggressive brand of basketball. Both Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis have worked hard at guarding more along the perimeter and pressuring the ball. At the same time, the Bulls were seemingly willing to do this because of the rim-protecting skills Claxton could offer down low. So, might Splitter have to rethink his strategy?
If one thing is for sure, rim protection is going to be an issue for the Bulls over the first few weeks of 2026-27. We saw them struggle to prevent penetration and foul a lot during the preseason, and there is a real chance this will continue to be their downfall early this season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/bulls/onsi as Bulls Injury Updates: Zach Collins is Finally Back, Nic Claxton News Isn't Great .
