Bobby Portis has been suspended following his fight with teammate Nikola Mirotic, which left the forward hospitalized.
The Chicago Bulls announced that Portis will be suspended for the first eight games of the regular season, beginning on Thursday against the Toronto Raptors.
According to the Bulls, Mirotic suffered a concussion and facial fractures. The team said surgery is likely going to be required, and Mirotic will be "out indefinitely."
"Bobby isn't a bad person," Bulls President John Paxson said. "But he made a mistake."
Paxson also announced that Mirotic will miss approximately 4-to-6 weeks as he recovers from multiple facial fractures. Those fractures will not be addressed until Mirotic recovers from the concussion he suffered as a result of the punch, according to Paxson.
Mirotic, who just signed a two-year, $27 million deal to stay with the Bulls, was hit in the face by Portis at practice during a fight.
Mirotic averaged 10.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season, as he played in 70 games for the Bulls. Portis, a first round pick of the team in 2015, averaged 6.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 64 games, including 13 starts for the club last season.
Local
"Our responsibility is to be supportive of Niko and Bobby moving forward," Paxson said.
There has been no word on what caused the altercation.
