Bulls' Wendell Carter Jr. to Undergo Surgery on Core Muscle Injury

Chicago Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. "will undergo a procedure on Tuesday, July 9 to repair a core muscle injury," according to the team.

He is expected to be ready for training camp.

In his first season out of Duke, Carter had troubles with injuries, playing in just 44 games. He showed promise when he was on the court, however, averaging 10.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game and shooting 48.5 percent from the field.

Having Carter available to play in the NBA Summer League would have been beneficial, giving him time to further improve his game. His absence is a setback in his development.

Carter will be expected to make a major impact for a Bulls team with upside in the 2019-20 season. Alongside Carter, the team has an exciting young core of Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, Otto Porter Jr. and Coby White.

In the weaker Eastern Conference, the Bulls could sneak into the postseason, but a jump forward in Carter's development would be a key factor. Losing valuable playing time this summer won't help.