Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball last played in NBA game on Jan. 14, 2022. Since then, he’s undergone two surgeries on his left knee. And it each time it seems like he may be making progress, a discouraging update emerges.
On Wednesday night’s edition of NBA Countdown, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that there “are no guarantees” Ball “plays at all this season.” Wojnarowski added that Ball “still has some pain” in his left knee.
Woj: "There are no guarantees, I'm told, that [Lonzo Ball] plays at all this season. He's rehabbing that knee now, he still has some pain in it."#BullsNation pic.twitter.com/2pIuweg89i
— 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧' 𝐍𝐁𝐀 (@_Talkin_NBA) December 15, 2022
“There are no guarantees, I’m told, that he plays at all this season. He’s rehabbing that knee now. He’s still feeling some pain in it. The hope is that perhaps by the All-Star break in mid-February, they have a sense whether Lonzo Ball is ready to come back and play for Chicago. A lot of that may depend on where are the Bulls in the standings?
Right now, they’re in 11th. They’re out of the playoff picture. I think if they’re lingering around that area, there will be a real decision to be made about whether he plays at all.
But certainly, you can mark the downward spiral of this team at the beginning of that injury last January. They looked like a team that was headed for a home playoff series in the Eastern Conference. I think are certainly some decisions to be made for this Bulls team at the trade deadline if they don’t improve and they take a look at this core. But, right now, Lonzo Ball, there is no real expectation you’ll see him at least, perhaps, until around the All-Star break in mid-February.”
Ball, 25, was initially diagnosed with a torn meniscus and given a four-to-six-week rehab timetable after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on Jan. 28. But he continued to have knee discomfort and underwent a second knee surgery on Sept. 28. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported that day that there was “confidence” in Ball being able to return this season after doctors believe the second surgery “addressed the issue.”
Sources: There is confidence in Bulls guard Lonzo Ball's ability to return this season following left knee surgery on Wednesday that doctors believe addressed the issue. Ball is expected to miss at least a few months.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 29, 2022
Now, as Wojnarowski alluded to, the Bulls‘ disappointing start to the 2022-23 NBA season could also be part of the organization’s plan to not rush Ball back. After going 46-36 in the 2021-22 season and spending much of that campaign as the No. 1 seed in the conference, Chicago is 11-16 so far this season. The Bulls simply have not been the same team since losing the substantial two-way impact Ball provides on the floor (and with what it does for the team’s depth).
And as Wojnarowski also alluded to, it’s very possible that the Bulls become sellers ahead of the trade deadline. Chicago has plenty of veteran talent — like DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vučević — that could draw heavy interest from contenders. The Bulls also have incentive to tank; their first-round draft pick becomes the Orlando Magic’s if it doesn’t land in the top-four of the 2023 NBA Draft. Right now, Chicago would have the eight-best Lottery odds. If they were to trade away star talent, they’d likely move “up” the tank standings and increase their chances to win in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
Either way, Wojnarowski reported that Ball is still experiencing pain after two knee procedures, and that’s certainly not encouraging.
The Bulls acquired Ball in a sign-and-trade with the New Orleans Pelicans ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season; he signed a four-year, $85 million deal with Chicago. He proceeded to average 13.0 points (with 42.3% shooting on threes), 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 35 games with the Bulls.
