Bulls' Markkanen out 6-8 weeks with elbow injury

The Chicago Bulls have announced that second-year big man Lauri Markkanen will likely miss the next six-to-eight weeks due to an elbow sprain in his right arm.

Markkanen sustained the injury during practice Thursday. He underwent an MRI on Friday, which revealed a high grade lateral elbow sprain.

The Finnish stretch-big had a strong rookie campaign, justifying his inclusion as a key component of the Jimmy Butler trade on draft day last summer. Markkanen averaged 15.2 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game in Year 1, garnering All-Rookie first team honors in the process.

Bobby Portis will presumably assume his teammate's spot in the Bulls' starting lineup during his absence.