Lonzo Ball Rumors: Bulls Unsure If PG Will Play for Team Again Due to Knee Injuries

There is uncertainty within the Chicago Bulls organization about Lonzo Ball playing in a game for them again as he continues to rehab from ongoing problems with his left knee.

Per ESPN's Jamal Collier, the Bulls remain optimistic after Ball had a third knee surgery earlier this year but they are "unsure" if he will play for them again because he has a long rehab process ahead of him.

Ball's future in the NBA has been uncertain because of his knee problems. He hasn't appeared in a game since suffering a torn meniscus against the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 14, 2022.

The Bulls announced Ball was expected to miss six to eight weeks after undergoing his initial arthroscopic surgery. He wound up sitting out the rest of the season and Chicago's first-round playoff loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Leading up to the start of training camp last season, Ball told reporters he was still unable to play basketball and couldn't run or jump. The Bulls said he would undergo a second arthroscopic procedure and be re-evaluated in four to six weeks.

Despite not playing in a game for the first three months of the season, Ball told reporters he wasn't concerned about the injury being career-threatening.

Chicago officially shut down Ball for the 2022-23 season on Feb. 21 with soreness in his left knee. Head coach Billy Donovan told reporters on March 20 the 25-year-old had cartilage transplant surgery that gives him the best chance to resume his career at some point:

"I do know that Lonzo, just based on the information he was able to gather from different sets of doctors, [was] making the decision that he felt like this was the best chance to be able to get him back on the court. We all understand that that is going to be an uphill battle for him, but I know he's going to do everything possible in his rehab to get himself back on the court."

Bulls president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said in June that Ball is expected to miss the 2023-24 season, but that "everything is going well" in his rehab.

The NBA granted the Bulls a $10.2 million disabled player exception this season because of Ball's injury status. He is under contract through this season and has a $21.4 million player option for 2024-25.

Collier noted Emeka Okafor and Greg Oden are the last two players who went more than 1,000 days between games. Okafor missed four seasons from 2013-14 to 2016-17 before returning to play 26 games with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2017-18.

Oden missed three full seasons from 2010-11 to 2012-13 and played his final NBA season with the Miami Heat in 2013-14.

Ball averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 35 games with the Bulls before the knee injury occurred.