Bulls’ Jimmy Butler out 3-6 weeks with elbow sprain

Chicago Bulls wing Jimmy Butler could miss up to three-to-four weeks with an elbow sprain, according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. Butler suffered the injury in the Bulls' loss to the Clippers on Sunday. The Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson reports he will be evaluated on a weekly basis and could be back sooner if the ligament heals faster than anticipated, though the Bulls officially say he will be out for three-to-six weeks.

The news about Butler could not come at a worse time for the Bulls, who will be without Derrick Rose for four-to-six weeks following knee surgery. Butler is the team's leading scorer and one of the few perimeter players left on the roster who can create for himself and others. He's also their best perimeter defender and a solid outside threat.

Surprising sophomore Tony Snell and rookie Doug McDermott will likely see their minutes increased during Butler's absence, and Nikola Mirotic could get an extended look at small forward.

The Bulls are only half a game up from the Cavaliers for the third-best record in the East and it wouldn't be surprising to see them falling a spot or more in the standings following the loss of two of their best players for most if not all of the regular season.