Bulls' Lonzo Ball to Have Surgery on Knee Injury; Will Be Re-Evaluated in 4-6 Weeks

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball will undergo an arthroscopic debridement of his left knee that could keep him out for the start of the regular season, the team announced Wednesday.

He will be re-evaluated in four-to-six weeks. The Bulls open their regular season exactly four weeks from Wednesday on Oct. 19 against the Miami Heat.

Ball was already recovering from a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery in January, which ended his 2021-22 season after just 35 games.

The meniscus injury was supposed to keep him out for only a couple of months, but he suffered setbacks in his recovery before being shut down in April after he continued to "experience pain with high-level physical activity."

Even after an offseason of rehab, Ball was expected to miss training camp and was considered doubtful for the start of the 2022-23 season due to the injury, according to Jamal Collier and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

Injuries continue to be a major story for the 2017 No. 2 overall pick, who averaged just 50.4 games played in his first five seasons, only once topping 60 games in a single year.

The 24-year-old can fill up the stat sheet when on the floor, which he has proved during his time with the Bulls, Pelicans and Lakers. He averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game last year before suffering his injury.

Chicago fortunately has plenty of alternatives capable of running the point, including Coby White, Alex Caruso, Goran Dragic and Ayo Dosunmu.