Wendell Carter Jr. To Miss At Least A Month With 'Severe' Quad Contusion

Wendell Carter Jr. is expected to miss at least a month with a severe left quad contusion. The Bulls officially announced the injury, and it is considered a significant blow to the team.

A quad contusion is a bruising injury to the quadriceps muscle, and in Carter Jr.'s case it has been described as severe. It is especially impactful because he is the Bulls' best interior defender and their top rebounder.

Billy Donovan has two main options: start Daniel Gafford at the five, which he has already done in the last three games, or go with a lineup featuring Thaddeus Young alongside veterans like Thomas Satoransky. Donovan appears committed to playing the young guys, but lineup changes are possible depending on performance.

With Carter out for a month, Porter's minutes and usage are expected to increase significantly, potentially jumping from 23 minutes per game into the 26-29 minute range if he enters the starting rotation. More playing time gives contending teams a better look at Porter ahead of the trade deadline, boosting his value as an expiring contract piece who can play both small and power forward.

Under Jim Boylen, the Bulls were the worst rebounding team in the entire league. In the 2020-2021 season under Billy Donovan, they improved to 12th in the league in rebounding according to TeamRankings.com.