Bulls' Jimmy Butler Will Miss 3-4 More Weeks With Left Knee Strain

(CBS) The reeling Bulls received another dose of really bad news Tuesday.

All-Star guard Jimmy Butler will miss the next three to four weeks with the left knee strain that he suffered last Friday in a loss at Denver. He will miss the All-Star Game on Sunday in Toronto, and he'll miss at least the next seven Bulls' games on the front end of the timeline. If it takes closer to four weeks for Butler's recovery, he'll miss around 11 games.

Bulls teammate Pau Gasol will replace Butler in the All-Star Game, the league announced.

Butler has already begun rehabbing his injury, the Bulls said, and can engage in activities that help maintain his conditioning over the next few weeks.

This news comes as the Bulls have struggled mightily, losing 12 of their last 17 games. They're now just 1.5 games clear of the ninth-place Hornets in a bunched-up Eastern Conference.

This is just the latest in another string of injuries for Chicago. Joakim Noah is out for the remainder of the regular season, and Nikola Mirotic is out until after the All-Star break at the earliest -- and likely longer. Point guard Derrick Rose also sat out Monday's loss with general soreness.

Butler's in the midst of a career year, averaging 22.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Gasol's averaging 17.0 points and 10.9 rebounds. This marks Gasol's sixth All-Star honor.