Bulls' Valentine out at least 1-2 weeks

The Chicago Bulls say guard Denzel Valentine has a mild left ankle sprain and will sit out until he can be re-evaluated in a week or two.

Drafted 14th overall by the Bulls in 2016, Valentine averaged 10.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 27.2 minutes across 77 games (37 starts) last season. He averaged 5.1 points and 2.6 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game as a rookie.

The injury, which occurred during practice Tuesday, leaves Valentine in doubt of being ready to start the season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 18.

"Denzel tweaked his ankle a little bit on the first day and tried to go through it the second day, and just decided the smart thing to do right now is hold him out of practice and reevaluate him in about a week,'' Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said, per the Chicago Sun Times.

Valentine missed the team's final five games last season after undergoing an arthroscopic debridement on his left knee. He also had offseason surgery on the left ankle in 2017.

Debridement is the medical process of removing dead or infected tissue. — Field Level Media/Reuters