Jalen Smith off the injury report, finding his minutes early for the Bulls
Jalen Smith is healthy again after a brief Day-To-Day stretch and has played in four of Chicago's first five games. The 6-9 forward-center is working his minutes back up after sitting out with a foot and leg issue, with last season's numbers as the baseline for what he can give the Bulls.
By the Bulls Nightly Desk · updated 4 d ago01The story of the nightBack off the injury reportJalen Smith is not on the injury report right now.
Jalen Smith is not on the injury report right now. He was listed Day-To-Day with a foot and leg issue on the left side on October 9, then cleared on October 12. That lines up with his box score from October 9 against Memphis, when he played 0.0 minutes and finished with 0 points, 0 rebounds and 0 assists in a loss. He was back in the rotation three days later. For a 26-year-old big man in his sixth season, a quick turnaround on a Day-To-Day tag is a good sign heading into the schedule ahead.
02Minutes climbing back upSince clearing the injury report, Smith has played in three straight games.
Since clearing the injury report, Smith has played in three straight games. On October 11 against Denver he logged 14.2 minutes with 11 points and 3 rebounds in a loss. On October 14 against Milwaukee he had his best night of the stretch: 15 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists in 20.8 minutes, a plus-3.0 in a win. On October 16 against Minnesota his role shrank again, 5 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists in just 13.0 minutes, though the Bulls won that one with him at plus-8.0. Chicago also beat Phoenix on October 7, with Smith putting up 13 points and 8 rebounds in 19.9 minutes.
03What he brought last seasonSmith's 2025-26 season with Chicago is the clearest picture of his game.
Smith's 2025-26 season with Chicago is the clearest picture of his game. He played 53 games at 20.7 minutes, averaging 10.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.8 blocks, with 1.0 turnovers a night. He shot 48.3 percent from the field, 37.3 percent from three and 74.2 percent from the line, good for a 60.8 true shooting mark. His usage rate was 18.3 percent and his plus-minus was 1.6. Those are solid efficiency numbers for a stretch big who can also protect the rim a little, and they're the bar for what Chicago expects from him this season.
04The frame and the resumeSmith is listed at 6-9 and 244 pounds, wearing number 25 for Chicago as a forward-center.
Smith is listed at 6-9 and 244 pounds, wearing number 25 for Chicago as a forward-center. He's 26 years old and in his sixth NBA season, out of Maryland. That's a veteran frontcourt body who has already logged a full season of rotation minutes with this roster, which matters for a team trying to figure out its frontcourt mix early in 2026-27.
05What to watch nextThe swing factor for Smith is health and minutes.
The swing factor for Smith is health and minutes. He went from a Day-To-Day foot and leg issue to a cleared tag in three days, and his minutes have bounced from 19.9 to 14.2 to 20.8 to 13.0 across his four appearances so far. If Chicago keeps winning with him on the floor, plus-8.0 against Minnesota and plus-3.0 against Milwaukee, there's a path to more consistent run. There's nothing in the rumor mill on him right now, so for the moment this is about health and rotation spot, not trade speculation.
Smith10.2 ppg
Middleton10.2 ppg
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