Lonzo Ball injury update: Bulls head coach shares probable return timeline for Chicago's star guard
The tenure of Lonzo Ball with the Chicago Bulls has been somewhat disappointing because of the number of injuries he has sustained since coming to the team in 2021. Bulls fans are eagerly waiting for some news about Ball if there is light at the end of the tunnel, and head coach Billy Donovan offered some insight on when they can see the point guard run the basketball court again.
Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune reports that Ball is set to run again after undergoing a total of three knee surgeries that included an experimental cartilage replacement surgery, according to Donovan.
Ball was seen by Donovan with positivity, and the chronic pain in the knee has not been felt recently.
“The pain that he was experiencing has been eliminated," said Donovan.
However, Ball is still ruled out for the rest of the season and the most important thing right now is that the former UCLA Bruin is in high spirits on his road to recovery.
Last season, Ball missed 47 games due to a season-ending injury. Before that, he had been averaging 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.8 assists per game.
The positive mindset of Lonzo Ball
Suffering an injury that many see as even borderline career-ending, Lonzo Ball needs the right mindset to get him through the tough time on his road to playing again in the NBA.
For him, he looks for the silver lining in everything as these types of things are beyond his control.
“Everything happens for a reason,” said Ball during the Bulls pre-season media day. “I couldn't control getting hurt or not getting hurt. It's just something that happened to me, part of my career. I try to stay positive. I don't look at the negatives."
The Bulls still have Ball on their payroll, and the 26-year-old guard is set to earn $20.4 million for the 2023-24 season. He also has a player option of $21.3 million the following year.
The NBA granted the Bulls a $10.2 million disabled player exception for Lonzo Ball, who was sidelined for the 2023-24 season due to a knee injury.
The Chicago Bulls can use the funds to trade for a player in their final contract year, sign a one-year deal, or claim a waived player, addressing needs before next season or at the trade deadline.
Jevon Carter was tapped by the Bulls, and so far Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Alex Caruso have all been taking turns in the point guard position while Ball is still recovering.