Lonzo Ball last stepped onto an NBA court more than 1,000 days ago. Since then, Ball has had three knee surgeries, the most recent of which in March 2023 was a cartilage replacement, where doctors grow cartilage outside the body and place it in the knee. No player returned to the NBA after that surgery.
Ball, who has been diligent in his rehab for more than a year, said on his podcast that he planned to play in a few of the Bulls’ remaining preseason games.
If true, that means he will return to the court either Monday against Milwaukee or Wednesday at home against Minnesota.
The Bulls say Ball went through full contact, 5-on-5 scrimmages during training camp and the preseason. If Ball returns to the court for Chicago this season — likely in a limited role on a team with Josh Giddey and Coby White as the primary ball handlers at the point — it would be a triumph of determination. Most players would have left long ago.
Ball will make $21.4 million this season in the final year of the contract he signed when he came to Chicago back in 2021, when he looked like the glue and defender needed to hold an otherwise ill-fitting roster together. Without him, the Bulls struggled to find consistency.
It would be one of the most uplifting stories of the season just to see him back on the court.
