Jalen Smith’s night ended early on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, and the Bulls are now waiting to learn how serious the latest setback might be.
Smith, who entered the matchup against the defending champion New York Knicks listed as probable because of a left finger sprain, left the game with a left hand injury and will not return, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network. The injury comes at a rough time for Chicago, which has been leaning on Smith in the frontcourt while veteran center Nic Claxton deals with a hamstring issue in preseason.
With Claxton sidelined, Smith has been starting and giving the Bulls needed minutes in the paint. He has also been one of their more productive bigs, averaging 12.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while supplying versatility and athleticism around the rim.
This is not the first time Smith has dealt with the left finger issue. He was set to play against the Boston Celtics last Friday before suffering that injury earlier in the week. Smith has been with the Bulls since the 2024-25 season, and in 2024 he signed a 3-year, $27,000,000 contract that runs through this summer, when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
There has also been some noise around his future. Rumors have suggested Chicago could explore moving Smith before the February trade deadline, and that talk picked up when the Warriors reportedly called the Bulls to ask about acquiring him, per Elias Schuster of Sports Illustrated.
As the story was updated, Chicago trailed New York 111-70 in the waning moments of the third quarter. Smith finished with seven minutes played.
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