David Chao, MD
2 min read • June 23, 2023
Posted in
Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball is not expected to play next season, Bulls Vice President Arturas Karnisovas told reporters at the NBA Draft.
Ball missed the entire 2022-23 season and underwent a cartilage transplant last March in his troublesome left knee.
It was his third surgery on that knee since Jan. 14, 2022, his last game for Chicago. Karnisovas said Ball is improving after his last surgery and recently began walking without crutches.
It remains unclear if the transplant was a meniscus transplant or articular cartilage transplant.
In either case, there is not much history of players returning to their old form after that kind of surgery.
Former Grizzlies guard Jordan Adams underwent a meniscus transplant in 2016 after his sophomore season in the NBA. He went on to have a career playing in Venezuela, but never returned to the NBA.
There is hope Ball can return for some short-term success, but he will not play into his 30s, according to the Pro Basketball Docs. Here the Pro Basketball Docs detailed the 25-year-old’s lengthy history of knee troubles dating back to 2018.
Ball’s contract will expire after the 2024-25 season. He signed a 4-year, $80 million contract via a sign-and-trade agreement between the Pelicans and the Bulls in the summer of 2020, before these knee issues arose.
If any hint of these knee issues arose during his entry physical with the Bulls, the deal would not have gone through.
The Bulls acquired him for Tomas Satoransky, Garrett Temple, cash and a 2024 second-round pick.
At this point, it would be great news to see Ball return to the court in Chicago and put up a fraction of what he produced in 2021-22.
That season, he averaged 13 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists on 42.3% shooting from the field and 42.3% shooting from 3-point range.
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Written by David Chao, MD
