NBA Rumors: Bulls' Lonzo Ball to Return from Knee Injury vs. Wolves in Preseason Game

Lonzo Ball hasn't played an NBA game since Jan. 14, 2022, due to significant knee injuries. That streak reportedly will come to a close on Wednesday.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Ball will return to the court on Wednesday night for the Chicago Bulls in the team's preseason matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Ball previously said on his podcast he planned to play in at least two preseason games for the Bulls:

A healthy Ball would make a major difference for Chicago.

The 26-year-old has averaged 11.9 points, 6.2 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game, shooting 40 percent from three while providing elite perimeter defense during his career. Health has always been an issue, however—he's never played more than 63 games in a season and has missed the last two entirely.

It's also fair to wonder how he'll look after such a lengthy time away from the game. A major amount of rust is to be expected, even well into the season.

At the very least, however, the Bulls now have the backup point guard role covered. Offseason acquisition Josh Giddey will handle the primary playmaking duties on the starting unit, with 2023-24 standout Coby White moving to an off-ball role and Zach LaVine slotting into the small forward position.

That will leave Ball to presumably run the second unit.

The Bulls were a far better team with the veteran point guard on the court back in the 2021-22 season, posting a 3.1 net rating when he played, per NBA.com, and a minus-2.1 net rating without him.

They had a 27-13 record before he suffered the knee injury that has since required multiple surgeries and a rare double cartilage transplant in May 2023, but went just 19-23 the rest of that season, 40-42 in the 2022-23 campaign and 39-43 last season.

Ball will not fix all that ails Chicago as the team transitions from its previous older core to a younger one. But his return is a positive story and should provide the team with more depth, playmaking and defensive upside.