Golden State Warriors bei Chicago Bulls

Butler is still months away from retaking the floor, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic, so a season debut at some point December might be too optimistic. The star forward remains without a definitive timeline for a return after undergoing ACL surgery in early February, which typically carries at least a nine-month recovery period. Butler makes sense as an injury stash at the end of fantasy drafts, but managers should likely be bracing for him to miss at least the first two months of the regular season.

Moody suffered the injury March 23 and underwent season-ending surgery four days later. The 24-year-old had been targeting September to resume running and on-court work, so his latest progress appears to keep his rehabilitation on track, though he remains without a firm timetable for his return to game action.

Porzingis will miss the start of training camp due to the unknown issue, and his status for the beginning of the regular season is murky. If the veteran big man is forced to miss time to begin the campaign, Al Horford and Charles Bassey would be candidates for increased playing time.

Knee

Collins' 2025-26 season was cut short after he underwent surgery in February due to a sprained toe on his right foot. It's unclear if the current soft tissue injury is related to the toe, but the big man's status will be worth monitoring ahead of Chicago's preseason opener against Phoenix on Wednesday, Oct. 7. If he's forced to miss time to start the regular season, Jalen Smith would have a much clearer path to playing time behind Nic Claxton.