Report: Bulls 'don't think it's likely' Lonzo Ball plays again

Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball hasn't played since January of 2022 due to a torn meniscus and there is apparently growing concern that he may never return to the court.

According to 670 The Score's Dan Bernstein, the organization "do[es]n't think it's likely" the 25-year-old, who underwent cartilage transplant surgery in March, suits up for them or any team again. 

"There are also large-scale planning issues because the other thing I heard is that, even though publicly there has been an expression of guarded optimism regarding a future for Lonzo Ball, … They don't think it's likely that he ever plays again," Bernstein said on the "Organizations Win Championships" podcast.

The former No. 2 overall pick was in the first season of his four-year, $85M deal with the Bulls when he suffered his injury. Both he and the team were thriving at the time, with Chicago sitting atop the Eastern Conference at the time. For his part at the time, Ball was averaging 13 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.

Chicago initially expected Ball to miss six-to-eight weeks, which would have given him time to recover and prepare for a potential playoff run. Of course, Ball never returned, and Chicago struggled without him, finishing as the Eastern Conference's sixth seed before being bounced out of the playoffs by Milwaukee in the first round.

Prior to the season, Ball went through a painful rehab and had to have a second procedure to treat a nerve problem and clear debris. A slow and unsuccessful recovery from that operation forced Chicago to shut him down for the season in February. Then, in March, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that Ball would undergo the third surgery on his left knee in 14 months, one which would likely force him to miss all of next season.

While Ball never developed into what many predicted he would coming out of UCLA, it is unfortunate that injuries have halted what appeared to be the beginning of a promising career. If he ever plays again, the question is whether it will be with the Bulls, who are heading into the offseason with major uncertainty surrounding their "Big Three."