Lonzo Ball Will Not Make Preseason Debut vs. Kings After Knee Surgery

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball will not take the court with the team during Thursday's preseason contest against the Sacramento Kings. 

Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported as much, noting Ball—who has not appeared in a preseason game—is still considered "day to day" following knee surgery and will be evaluated again Thursday. The Lakers face the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported in June that Ball suffered a torn meniscus.

Ball addressed the decision to have surgery following a platelet-rich plasma shot while appearing on a Ball in the Family episode, via Christian Rivers of USA Today's Lonzo Wire. "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, That didn't work, so the last option is surgery," Ball said.

General manager Rob Pelinka told Lakers reporter Mike Trudell that Ball was "100 percent cleared by our medical staff" on Sept. 20, and the point guard has since practiced with full contact.

However, head coach Luke Walton said the team wouldn't "rush him back at all," per Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet, and Los Angeles is clearly working with caution by holding him out of the preseason to this point.

Ball appeared in 52 games as a rookie last season and averaged 10.2 points, 7.2 assists and 6.9 rebounds a night.

He is part of a young Lakers core alongside Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart that provided optimism even during a losing season, but the team is now operating in a competitive window with LeBron James aboard. 

The Lakers need Ball healthy to compete in the Western Conference, and there is no need to rush things during the preseason with the most important games months away.