Denzel Valentine will undergo surgery on left ankle, will miss 4-6 months

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Denzel Valentine was originally expected to miss one to two weeks after suffering a sprained ankle on the second day of training camp. One setback led to another, and on Monday the Bulls announced that the third year guard will undergo surgical reconstruction on that left ankle. He'll miss four to six months, the team announced, effectively ending his season.

The surgery stems from what the team is calling "ongoing ankle instability." Valentine was evaluated by Dr. Bob Anderson, a foot and ankle specialist in Green Bay, Wis., and will undergo surgery next week. The team said in a press release that Valentine is expected to make a full recovery and will not have any limitations in the offseason or the following training camp.

That is, if he can remain healthy. Valentine's ankle has given him trouble ever since the Bulls made him the 14th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. As a rookie he missed a large portion of the season with two separate sprained ankles, and he had surgery on that ankle the following offseason.

When Valentine suffered the initial sprain on Sept. 28, there was belief that he could potentially return for the season opener on Oct. 17. That never happened, and a few days later a scan revealed a bone bruise in the ankle that shut him down indefinitely. Valentine only got as far as straight-line running in his rehabilitation.

The Bulls picked up his fourth-year team option on Oct. 30, so he's still part of the Bulls' plans for 2019-20. But at this point it remains to be seen if he can be a contributor. Though he shot well from beyond the arc last season, Valentine hasn't been able to replicate the playmaking skills he showed at Michigan State and has struggled defensively. Valentine just turned 25 and will have missed more than a year of game action when he returns to training camp next September.

Since Valentine hasn't played this season the Bulls' rotation shouldn't look all that different going forward. Ryan Arcidiacono will continue to log major minutes, moving to the second unit when Kris Dunn (knee) returns to the lineup. Past that, Chandler Hutchison may find himself a bigger role on the second unit without Valentine's floor spacing. Rawle Alkins, a G-Leaguer for Windy City who is practicing with the Bulls on Monday and Tuesday, could potentially see minutes depending on how he plays in Hoffman Estates and how long Dunn is out.

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