Throw Two More Names on the Chicago Bulls' Injury Report

Get hurt, lose, repeat.

Whether the Chicago Bulls like it or not, they have picked a direction. The sell-off at this year's deadline has resulted in a complete downward spiral. The team has yet to win a game in the month of February, leading to ten consecutive losses for the first time since January of 2019. All in all, the Bulls are a league-worst 1-13 since January 26 with a -13.4 point differential.

Even more frustrating, the injuries have only continued to stack up since their crazy deadline. While many will argue that losses are best-case scenarios as the Bulls hope for some lottery luck, games still matter for development and evaluation. The Bulls have run into trouble doing precisely that with so much injury trouble.

The two-week loss of Jaden Ivey, in particular, was a tough one to swallow for a Bulls team that may want to bring him back in restricted free agency. Then, Anfernee Simons joined Ivey in street clothes with a wrist injury that will force him to miss a handful of games. Fast forward to today, and head coach Billy Donovan threw two more names to the list.

Both Patrick Williams and Jalen Smith are now doubtful for Thursday night's meeting with the Portland Trail Blazers. Smith was forced to exit the team's matchup against the New York Knicks on Sunday after re-aggravating his calf. He was initially listed as questionable for the team's meeting with the Charlotte Hornets, only to be ruled out before tip-off. Donovan has now refused to put a timeline for his return.

Jalen Smith of the Chicago Bulls — Feb 21, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jalen Smith (25) gestures after making a three-point basket against the Detroit Pistons during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

As for Williams, he was not at practice on Wednesday. The forward felt some tightness in his calf after a sudden stop against the Charlotte Hornets. Donovan said that Williams got some imaging done out of an abundance of caution, and he is now listed as having a right quad strain. The severity is unknown, but it's clearly troublesome enough to likely keep him out of Thursday's game.

All things considered, if there were two players the Bulls couldn't afford to lose at this point, a case could have made for Williams and Smith. Two of the bigger and more physically imposing options on this roster, the Bulls will now be even smaller in the frontcourt without either available. This could prove especially troublesome with a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, a great rebounding team, up next.

For what it's worth, Williams has also played some of his better basketball as of late. He has been considerably more aggressive on the offensive end, which has included some nice moments setting up his teammates. At the end of the day, having some familiarity on the floor is important at a time like this, so Donovan will surely cross his fingers that both find their way back sooner than later.

Chicago Bulls Injury Report vs. Portland

Patrick Williams – DOUBTFUL (quad)
Jalen Smith – DOUBTFUL (calf)
Jaden Ivey – OUT (knee)
Anfernee Simons – OUT (wrist)
Zach Collins – OUT FOR SEASON (toe)
Noa Essengue – OUT FOR SEASON (shoulder)

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on X for the latest news.