The Chicago Bulls have been without guard Lonzo Ball for over a year and, according to a recent report, that’s not likely to change anytime soon.
Last week, Bulls vice president Arturas Karnisovas said that Ball has been “making small improvements” and his status would be updated following the All-Star break. On Friday, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reportedly called it “foregone conclusion” that Ball’s injury will keep him out for the entire 2022-23 season.
On the “Bulls Talk Pod“ Johnson added that Ball is still unable to run or cut.
Ball hasn’t appeared in a game since he suffered a torn meniscus in his knee against the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 14, 2022. He was originally expected to miss 6-8 weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery.
The Bulls went 19-23 in the regular season without him last season and made the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference before a first-round loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in five games.
There was optimism the 25-year-old would be able to return for the start of the 2022-23 season, until it became clear that his knee was still a major concern.
In September, Ball had a second surgery after sharing that he was unable run or jump on his knee at the time and still had pain walking up stairs. He added doctors are “a bit surprised” that he was still struggling so much due to the injury.
Fans were given a dose of excitement last month when ball posted videos of himself dunking and running. It’s unclear how recent those videos were, but the running video did appear to show that Ball still had a slight limp.
A former UCLA standout and second overall pick by the Lakers in 2017, Ball signed a four-year, $80 million contract as part of a trade deal to join the Bulls from the New Orlean Pelicans in August 2021. He averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game in 35 starts last season.
Thirteen months after Ball’s initial injury, it’s clear how helpful he would be to Chicago if healthy — something fans will likely have to wait to see until next season. With the team’s offense ranking 20th in points per game, the Bulls hold the 11th spot the Eastern Conference with a 26-33 record.
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