Wendell Carter Jr. Out vs. Nuggets; Bulls PF Day-to-Day with Thumb Injury

Chicago Bulls center Wendell Carter will miss Thursday night's matchup against the Denver Nuggets with a sprained left thumb, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. 

Head coach Jim Boylen added that Carter is considered day-to-day with the injury. Per Johnson, Carter originally expected to miss six to eight weeks but "now plans to play Saturday."

Carter came to the Bulls as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft. The 19-year-old was a star in his lone season at Duke, earning second-team All-ACC honors after averaging 13.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. 

"Kid is a stud, can play inside and out," one NBA executive told B/R's Jonathan Wasserman prior to the draft. "He'll be better with more spacing in our league."

Carter has largely justified the hype with 10.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. 

Despite having a 10-34 record, there is talent for the Bulls to build around. Carter is a huge part of their future. Lauri Markkanen is still working his way back into shape after an elbow injury that caused him to miss the first 23 games of the season. 

With Carter sidelined for the time being, Chicago will turn to Robin Lopez as its primary big man.