Bulls center Carter to undergo surgical procedure
The Bulls didn't wait for the start of the season for another injury issue to hit. The team announced Wednesday center Wendell Carter Jr. will undergo a surgical procedure Tuesday in Philadelphia to repair a core muscle injury.
Carter is expected to be ready for the start of training camp, but this news will sideline him for most of the summer, taking away time that could be spent getting stronger and developing skills.
Carter had a nice start to his rookie season, averaging 10.3 points and 7 rebounds, but the campaign ended after 44 games when he suffered a torn ligament in his thumb and needed surgery. Carter was the No. 7 pick of the 2018 draft.
A team source said Carter was planning to play in the Las Vegas summer league, but has been dealing with this core muscle issue on and off since high school. The Bulls open summer league action against the Lakers at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
The Bulls added to their front-line depth this week by signing free agents Thaddeus Young and Luke Kornet. Carter is a player they can't afford to lose after watching veteran center Robin Lopez sign with Milwaukee.
• The Bulls officially announced changes to the coaching staff, most of which have been public for weeks. They added Chris Fleming and Roy Rogers to Jim Boylen's staff, promoted Karen Stack to an official assistant coach, named Paul Miller assistant to the head coach, and added Chris Kent as video coordinator. Nate Loenser, Dean Cooper and Shawn Respert will continue in the same roles.
Fleming spent the last three seasons with the Brooklyn Nets working under Kenny Atkinson and is expected to help develop the Bulls' offense. Before the Nets, Fleming spent one season with the Denver Nuggets and was a head coach for 14 years in Germany.
Rogers, who is expected to mentor the big men, was a Bull for about two days in 1999 after coming over from Houston in the Scottie Pippen trade. Rogers spent the past three years in Houston and has also been an assistant for Washington, Brooklyn, Boston and Detroit.