After more than two years, Lonzo Ball is set to return to the court.
In January 2022, Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball was diagnosed with a meniscus tear. Multiple surgeries and setbacks have since come and gone. Ball, who hasn't played a game since January 14, 2022, is finally expected to appear in a Bulls' preseason game, according to head coach Billy Donovan. Chicago hasn't yet announced which game, but it's heartwarming, considering it's been more than two and a half years since Ball played.
In late September, Donovan expressed no rush in pushing Ball back onto the court and taking things slow in his return, while on 670 The Score.
“We don't know how he is going to respond after games and practice because we haven't seen it,” Donovan explained. “That's where we first have to start off with… The one thing I do look at it from this lense is Lonzo loves to play. At his age, as much as he loves to play, he wants to play beyond this year. So we also have the responsibility to make sure he's in a position where he can play after this season, and it's not one of those things where it's not managed correctly.”
The 26-year-old appeared on Trae Young's podcast last year and spoke about his ordeal.
“When I first got hurt, we didn't really know what it was. I've seen all type of different doctors and stuff. I was kind of just going up and down, and that was really hard for me because I just didn't know what the next day was going to be like.
“At least now, I got the surgery, we got a plan moving forward. We've been on plan, I'm on track, so hopefully everything works out. I just leave it up to God and do the best I can and live with the results.”
Ball has had three knee surgeries, the most recent being in March 2023.
Rebuilding Bulls still hamstrung by Zach LaVine's contract
The Bulls want to build around Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis, but are limited in what they can do given Zach LaVine's recent surgery and monster contract.
During the Bulls' media day, LaVine tried to stay positive after months of trade rumors.
“I had conversations with (the front office) and the commitment and respect they gave me – I’m going to give them the same respect – not just the way I play but the way I conduct myself,” LaVine said. “I’m excited for this camp.”
Since moving on from DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso, Chicago doesn't have much in future draft picks, so they're in a tough spot.
The return of Ball is a nice story, but there's not a lot of upside to a rotational player with a spotty jump shot. The Bulls have to find a way to get off of LaVine's contract, which has three years remaining at around $46M AAV.
