Chicago, IL – March 5, 2026 – In a devastating blow that has Bulls fans holding their breath and clutching their jerseys in despair, star guard Anfernee Simons is sidelined once again with a wrist injury that’s refusing to heal. What was initially dismissed as a mere “sprain” has escalated into a nightmare scenario: an aggravated fracture that’s casting a dark shadow over Chicago’s playoff hopes. Coach Billy Donovan dropped the bombshell before Tuesday’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, revealing that Simons’ left wrist—plagued by an “old injury” from his Boston days—is far from mended. With the playoffs looming, this could be the fracture that shatters the Bulls’ season!
The drama unfolded during Chicago’s brutal 126-110 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. Simons, the dynamic 26-year-old acquired in a blockbuster trade that shipped center Nikola Vucevic to Boston earlier this month, exited the game at halftime with what the team optimistically called a sprain. But additional imaging told a grim tale: the fracture, first suffered during training camp with the Celtics, has been aggravated. Donovan didn’t mince words, labeling it an “old injury” that’s stubbornly lingering.
“The fracture hasn’t quite healed,” Donovan explained in a pre-game presser that left reporters stunned. “He’s seeing a hand specialist, and they feel like once the pain subsides, he’s fine to go back to play. The last time it happened to him, it was in training camp in Boston—like a week or 10 days.” But with no exact timeline offered, Bulls Nation is left in limbo. Is it days? Weeks? Or worse—could this sideline Simons for the critical stretch run?
Since joining the Bulls, Simons has been a spark plug off the bench and in the starting lineup, averaging a solid 15.2 points in 28.4 minutes over six games (five starts). His sharpshooting and playmaking were seen as the missing pieces to turn around Chicago’s fortunes. But now, with the team mired in a season-worst nine-game losing streak entering Tuesday’s tilt, the absence of their new guard feels like a gut punch. How can the Bulls climb out of this abyss without Simons’ scoring punch?
Flash back to Simons’ journey: Drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of 2018, he spent seven electrifying seasons in Rip City before being dealt to Boston in July for veteran Jrue Holiday. In 49 games with the Celtics this season, Simons posted 14.2 points in 24.5 minutes, proving his worth as a versatile scorer. But that nagging wrist issue from training camp? It was a red flag that Chicago might have overlooked in their desperation to rebuild.
Insiders whisper that the trade for Simons was a high-risk, high-reward gamble for a Bulls squad desperate to inject youth and talent. Vucevic’s departure left a void in the frontcourt, but Simons was supposed to be the silver lining—the guard who could light up the scoreboard and propel Chicago back into contention. Instead, this injury revelation has fans fearing the worst: a prolonged absence that derails any playoff push.
As the Bulls battle the Hornets and beyond, all eyes are on Simons’ recovery. Will the pain subside in time for a heroic return? Or is this the terrifying turn that dooms Chicago to another lottery-bound finish? One thing’s for sure: in the Windy City, the glass isn’t just half-empty—it’s shattered. Stay tuned as this story develops; the playoffs wait for no one, fractured wrist or not.