There is optimism that Ball (knee) will be able to play next season, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Ball hasn't logged any NBA minutes since Jan. 2022 due to a string of knee injuries. While the 26-year-old guard has yet to play 5-on-5 or participate in any contract drills, there is still optimism that he will return to action in 2024-25. Ball has a $21.4 million player option for next season.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Begins running
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Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said Friday that Ball (knee) has begun cutting, sprinting and jumping in controlled, non-contact situations, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
The Bulls have exercised extreme caution with Ball's prolonged recovery from his third knee procedure since January 2021. Though he is merely running in a controlled setting, the activity seems to be a big step for the point guard in his recovery process. While he still presumably has several more hurdles to clear, the UCLA product is hoping to return at some point during the 2024-25 campaign.
Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Making progress, still no sprinting
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Ball (knee) isn't experiencing pain during his day-to-day activities, which include a lot of mobility work, but he hasn't resumed sprinting yet, Ryan Taylor of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Ball was expected to return to running in January, but all parties involved continue to proceed with caution. "Definitely doing much better in rehab," Ball said. "It's been a long process, obviously, longer than I'd like it to be. It's definitely cut out in stages and I keep checking off the boxes I'm supposed to and getting better each week." Coach Billy Donovan had similar sentiments: "He's doing different things on the court. He hasn't done any sprinting yet. I think everybody medically is pleased with the way it's progressing. Some of these movements he's doing now caused him pain before and aren't causing him pain. I know there was talk in January of him sprinting. I don't want to sit here and say he's behind schedule. I don't think that's the case because it's going well." Ball hasn't played since Jan. 2021, but he's staying positive and eyeing a return in 2024-25.
Ball (knee) is expected to return to running in January, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune reports. "The pain that he was experiencing has been eliminated," head coach Billy Donovan said Thursday.
While Poe notes that the Bulls still don't expect Ball to return this season, this is nevertheless an encouraging development for the No. 2 overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, who hasn't played since midway through the 2021-22 campaign. Early in his career, Ball dealt with a handful of lower-body injuries, most notably a cartilage issue in his knee, which was addressed via a transplant procedure in March 2023. The plan is for Ball to accelerate his rehab within the next month, at which point the Bulls may have a better indication as to whether he'll be able to resume his NBA career. Back in October, Ball said at the Bulls' media day that he "definitely" plans to play again. The former UCLA standout has a $21.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season that he'll likely exercise this summer.
Ball (knee) said Monday that he's about halfway through the rehab process for the cartilage transplant surgery he underwent in March and is optimistic that he'll be able to continue his career, despite having already been ruled out for the 2023-24 season, ESPN.com reports. "I definitely plan on playing again," Ball said at the Bulls' media day. "After surgery three, I feel like it's going well so far -- no setbacks. So for me, it's just keep my head up, just keep doing the work."
Ball's last NBA appearance came Jan. 14, 2022, and though he's set to miss a second consecutive season after undergoing a third operation on his left knee in a little more than a year, he's not yet ready to abandon hope on playing again. The 25-year-old said he plans on splitting the upcoming season between Chicago and Los Angeles while he continues his rehab program. Since Ball won't be regularly working out with the team, updates on where he stands in his recovery could be sparse in the months to come.
Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Confirms he'll miss 2023-24 season
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Ball (knee) said Monday during his appearance on the "From the Point by Trae Young" podcast that he'll miss the 2023-24 season, Jamal Collier of ESPN.com reports.
Ball's statement isn't a surprise, as Bulls vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas had previously said in June that he expected the veteran point guard to miss a second consecutive season. However, Ball said during his podcast appearance that he finally feels "on track" in his recovery process after undergoing cartilage transplant surgery in March. The 25-year-old still has a lengthy recovery process ahead of him, but it's encouraging to hear a slightly positive update after a year marred by setbacks.
