David Chao, MD
2 min read • March 17, 2023
Posted in
Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball will reportedly undergo a third surgery on his troublesome left knee, pushing his recovery timeline back yet again.
Ball, who last played in a game on Jan. 14, 2022, will likely miss the 2023-24 season while recovering, according to the Pro Basketball Docs.
This surgery, the third in 14 months, will reportedly be a cartilage transplant although it is unclear if the transplant will be 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.
The Bulls (31-37) are currently in the 12 spot in the Eastern Conference, a half game back from the play-in tournament.
Chicago has the second-worst odds to win the NBA Finals at +24000, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Sign up here for our FREE weekly newsletter and you'll get the best NFL, CFB, NBA and MLB injury insights from our Pro Sports Doctors plus Free Picks delivered straight to your inbox to give you an edge in betting and fantasy! Right now you'll also get one FREE month of SIC Picks - our best injury-based picks - valued at up to $200. Details sent instantly upon providing email.
Written by David Chao, MD
