Lonzo Ball expresses disappointment at $80,000,000 Bulls tenure falling apart due to knee trouble: "Never got to see what it was"
Lonzo Ball is recovering from a knee injury he suffered in January 2022, which has kept him out of action since then.
Being sidelined for 18 months now, Ball has had three knee surgeries, and it is unclear whether and when he will be able to return to the floor to make a difference for the Chicago Bulls. Lonzo Ball is expected to miss his second straight full season and his future in the league remains uncertain.
The star guard joined Trae Young and his The Point podcast to share his thoughts on his current condition and how things have played out after the injury. Lonzo Ball said he was disappointed because knee injuries prevented him from helping Chicago become a title contender in the East.
Before his injury, Ball was one of the best Bulls players, leading the franchise to the best record in the East in 2021-22 until January 2022. The young guard averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 35 games before the injury.
Ball said:
"It's gonna be a big what if for me. I feel bad just for the GMs because I feel like they made the perfect team around me and I felt like that was the most I've ever been involved in an organization.
"I finally got the perfect team that I felt like could fit my game and play my way. That injury, that one messed me up early just because I felt like we really had a chance and never got to see what it was."
Chicago Bulls never found a way to cover Lonzo Ball's gap
When Ball joined the Bulls, the franchise thought the addition of the young star guard was what it needed to become a title contender in the East. And the first part of the season showed there was a lot of truth in it.
The Bulls were one of the best teams on both ends with Ball in the lineup. They haven't managed to cover the gap left behind because of his injury.
Neither Coby White nor Alex Caruso or any other Chicago guard has been able to replicate Ball's success.
Meanwhile, the trio of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic has failed to lead Chicago to a deep playoff run. So, it wouldn't come as a surprise if the franchise shakes up the roster should it fail again.
And if it decides to do so, then Lonzo Ball's future with the team will be up in the air. Ball is under a four-year, $80 million contract and has two years left on his current deal.
He is set to earn $20.5 million this season and has a player option next summer, worth $21,4 million. If he stays with the Bulls, he will hit free agency in the summer of 2025. For their part, the Bulls could consider including his contract in a trade.
As he is recovering from a third knee injury he had in March, Lonzo Ball told Trae Young that he will miss the entire 2023/24 season. This doesn't come as a surprise as Bulls president Arturas Karnisovas told media the same earlier in the summer. Thus, after everything that happened, Lonzo Ball will remain a big what if for the Bulls.