Nic Claxton was supposed to be the Bulls’ starting center, with Jalen Smith settling into the backup role. Then Claxton tweaked his hamstring, and coach Tiago Splitter said he’d miss at least two weeks, with a reevaluation coming before the Oct. 21 opener. Smith stepped in against Phoenix on Wednesday, and the Jalen Smith starting center question went from footnote to real conversation. Chicago’s 124-117 comeback win turned an injury story into a decision the Bulls didn’t expect to face this soon.
Jalen Smith Starting Center Audition Delivers in Bulls’ Opener
Smith finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and two steals, shooting 5-of-8 from the field and 2-of-4 from three. Five of those rebounds came on the offensive glass, including a putback dunk after a Matas Buzelis drive collapsed the defense. The bigger story was the group around him. Smith started alongside Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Buzelis and Caleb Wilson, and that five built an early 10-point lead before the second unit gave it back in a 31-12 Phoenix run. When the Suns pushed the margin to 15, the starters did the clawing back.
How Smith’s Game Fits Splitter’s Young Core
Smith was expected to open 2026-27 as Claxton’s backup, so the big minutes weren’t a given. But he isn’t new to big minutes. Last season he started 21 of his 53 games and averaged 10.2 points and 6.7 rebounds in a career-high 20.7 minutes, until an aggravated calf injury ended his year early. “It was an uptick in minutes on my body,” he said this month, adding that he’s 100 percent healthy now. What stood out Wednesday was the fit: a floor-spacing option at center, plus offensive rebounding, on a team trying to give Buzelis and Wilson room to grow. That’s why Bleacher Nation has argued he should start even after Claxton returns, and SI’s grade said his showing “should have earned him some trust.”
The Trade Twist: Worth More, or Needed More?
There’s a wrinkle. Hours before tip-off, Heavy ran a proposed trade involving Jalen Smith from Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale: Smith and Powell to Golden State for Kristaps Porzingis, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and a top-4-protected 2028 first-round pick. It’s a hypothetical, not a Bulls plan, and Powell isn’t trade-eligible until Dec. 15. But Wednesday gives it a new reading. A center who can start, rebound and space the floor is a more interesting trade chip. Yet if Claxton’s absence drags on and Zach Collins’ return keeps slipping, moving Smith would open a hole Chicago can’t easily fill.
Three Centers, One Decision, No Overreaction
Chicago now has three different looks. Claxton brings athleticism and rim protection. Collins, who Splitter says is “close to a comeback but not 100% yet,” brings offensive skill. Smith is the middle ground, and the one who’s healthy and playing. Keep it in perspective: one preseason game doesn’t dethrone a center the Bulls acquired in June to start, and Smith’s calf history is a reason for caution. The honest takeaway is narrower. If Claxton isn’t ready, the Jalen Smith starting center option works without forcing Chicago to rewrite anything.
Before the injury, the trade idea was easy to picture: a useful backup turned into young talent and a first-round pick. Now it’s trickier. The Bulls may still trade Jalen Smith someday. After Wednesday night, they have a better reason to think twice.
Jalen Smith Starting Center Push Gives Bulls a Surprise Problem