The Bulls released their summer league roster Wednesday.

Wendell Carter Jr. isn’t on it and won’t be playing when the Bulls open Friday night in Las Vegas against the Lakers.

Carter needs a surgical procedure to repair a core muscle injury, which will be performed Tuesday by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia. The Bulls said Carter is expected to be ready for training camp.

But the Bulls and injury timelines haven’t always gotten along. And even if Carter is ready by training camp, this development robs the second-year big man of a critical summer.

Carter played 44 games in his rookie season in 2018-19 and none after Jan. 15. That’s the date he tripped over Lakers center Tyson Chandler and, on the ensuing fall, tore a ligament in his left thumb that warranted surgery.

The Tribune reported last month that Carter’s offseason workouts had been slowed by back soreness. He had been a regular at the Advocate Center, trying to add strength. While averaging 10.3 points and 7 rebounds in a promising season, he sometimes struggled against bigger, more physical centers.

“He has a huge upside,” executive vice president John Paxson said in March. “Wendell has to work on his body, get stronger, more physical. What he probably learned as a starter this year is some of the big bodies he goes up against every night can be difficult. (Magic center Nikola) Vucevic comes to mind for a couple of games that were physically difficult for him. We need him to be in the weight room working.”

Carter turned 20 a week after the season and projects to start at center. But suddenly, the Bulls’ moves to add depth at the position, which included drafting Daniel Gafford in the second round and getting a verbal commitment from Luke Kornet, make more sense.

Meyers has ties to Duke and performed a similar surgery on recent first-round pick Cam Reddish, who is expected to be sidelined for six weeks.

As for the summer league roster, former Loyola star Marques Townes is on it. So, of course, are first- and second-round picks Coby White and Gafford, although a source said White recently tweaked an ankle that isn’t believed to be serious. Present, too, is Adam Mokoka, the intriguing 6-foot-5 shooting guard from France who has played professional overseas and signed a two-way contract Tuesday. And holdovers Walt Lemon Jr. and Shaq Harrison also are on it, so there’s still some intrigue.

But with Carter sidelined, perhaps the most important player is Chandler Hutchison, who also had his rookie seasons cut short by injury. Like Carter, Hutchison logged 44 games and none after Jan. 25. After posting his first double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds against the Clippers, an MRI exam revealed an acute injury to the sesamoid bone in his right foot. He wore a walking boot much of the rest of the season.

“The discouraging thing is he was kind of coming into his own a little bit when he got hurt,” Paxson said on March 23, the night the Bulls officially shut down the forward. “The things Chandler does well are his ability to rebound and push the ball. He’s another creator.

”He’s going to have to spend time in the gym shooting the ball this summer to become a better shooter because we know that’s an important component. But he has size and length to defend. The way the league is going where you need versatile players where you can play smaller lineups, he fits that model.”

Indeed, the Bulls are poised to add versatile players such as Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky shortly after the free-agent moratorium ends Saturday.

Like those two players, Hutchison can play multiple positions, projecting to back up Otto Porter Jr. at small forward and possibly drawing minutes at power forward.

It’s unclear how much Hutchison will play in Las Vegas. He flashed promise, particularly with his defensive rebounding and ballhandling ability, but needs to improve anemic 28 percent 3-point shooting.

“I’m going to definitely put in a ton of shots,” Hutchison said late in the season of his offseason plans. “That’s what got me here. But I also think my confidence level is going to be at a completely different place (next season). I want to fine-tune everything in my game and try to be more of an offensive threat.”

The Bulls will be coached by assistant Nate Loenser at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.