Lakers News: Lonzo Ball Won't Be a Full Participant in Camp Due to Knee Injury

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball will not participate in 5-on-5 scrimmages when the team opens training camp next week.

Speaking to Spectrum SportsNet's Mike Bresnahan on Tuesday, head coach Luke Walton said the Lakers won't "rush him back at all" after the second-year floor general underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in July.   

Ball missed 30 games as a rookie because of nagging left knee issues, and he sat out the Lakers' final eight games as a precaution. The Athletic's Shams Charania later reported Ball had been diagnosed with a torn left  meniscus and was "expected to be ready for training camp."

On a recent episode of Ball In the Family (h/t LonzoWire's Christian Rivas), Ball explained he had his left meniscus removed instead of getting it repaired because the timetable was conducive to a quicker return. 

"I got hurt a couple of times during the season and then after the season I decided to get a shot and try to take care of it that way," Lonzo said. "That didn't work, so the last option is surgery."

"They've got to take it out," he added. "They said they could repair it but it would take me six months to get back. But, if they just take it out it will only be six weeks."

Ball, 20, averaged 10.2 points, 7.2 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game as a rookie while shooting 36.0 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from three. 

In the event his 2018-19 debut is delayed, the Lakers have veteran Rajon Rondo ready to deploy as their starting point guard.