Bulls GM Confident Lonzo Ball Will Return from Knee Injury; No Timeline Provided

Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball missed the entire 2022-23 season because of a knee injury, and the team greatly missed his presence on the floor.

While there's no specific timeline of when Ball may return to the court, Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas is confident the veteran will suit up again, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

Ball hasn't played an NBA game since Jan. 14, 2022, because of a left knee injury that has required three surgeries, the latest being a cartilage transplant on March 20.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on March 16 that Ball's latest surgery could result in him missing the entire 2023-24 season and that there were "concerns" about the point guard's ability to resume his career.

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said at the time that Ball was considered to be out "indefinitely" and that there was no timeline for his return to the floor, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps.

"He's certainly got a long road to recovery, a long road to get himself at a place where he can get back on the court and playing again," Donovan said, "but I am hopeful with his work ethic and his commitment and drive and just how eager he is to play, that he's gonna exhaust every opportunity to do that."

The Bulls acquired Ball in a sign-and-trade deal with the New Orleans Pelicans in the summer of 2021, and he fit seamlessly in the Chicago lineup alongside DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.

The 25-year-old appeared in 35 games for the Bulls during the 2021-22 season before going down with the knee injury, averaging 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 42.3 percent from the floor and 42.3 percent from deep.

Chicago held a 27-13 record at the time Ball injured his knee and went on to finish the season 19-23 without him, finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 46-36 record before suffering a first-round postseason loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The 2022-23 season was a brutal one for the Bulls as they struggled to fill Ball's role. Patrick Beverley, Ayo Dosunmu, Alex Caruso and Coby White all saw time leading the offense at point guard.

The Bulls went on to finish ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 40-42 record and were eliminated from the NBA's play-in tournament with a loss to the Miami Heat to miss the postseason for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

Ball is set to earn $20.5 million in 2023-24 and holds a player option for the 2024-25 season worth $21.4 million.