Lonzo Ball, with a 'brand new knee,' hopes to play in Bulls' season opener after two-and-a-half years away

Ball has been sidelined since January 2022 with knee issues

CHICAGO -- Bulls guard Lonzo Ball made a surprising declaration at media day on Monday. After two-and-a-half years away from NBA action, Ball says he expects to be ready to play in Chicago's first game of the regular season. 

"That's the goal, obviously we can't really tell the future, but that's the plan I'm on," Ball said. "I think I'll be ready for the first game for sure."

Ball has been hampered with injuries and setbacks in his recovery process for two-and-a-half seasons, and hasn't played in an NBA game since Jan. 14, 2022. It started out with a knee surgery to address a torn meniscus that forced him to miss the remainder of the 2021-22 season. He was expected to make a full recovery after a year, but setbacks in his rehab process pushed that further down the line. He then underwent another knee surgery, this time an arthroscopic debridement procedure to clear up debris from the previous surgery, and there was hope that he would return after a normal rehab process. However, in March 2023 Ball had his third surgery in two years, an experimental cartilage transplant that gave him a new meniscus. 

The third time ended up being the charm, as Ball slowly progressed and was seen taking part in 5-on-5 scrimmages with other NBA players in late August. That marked the first time Ball had been seen in any game simulated action, which is a significant milestone in his recovery. And now, we have an answer on when his long-awaited return could happen.

Bulls president Arturas Karnisovas echoed Ball's statement of when he'll return saying "that's the plan" of him being ready for opening night. But Karnisovas also noted that they will have to see how Ball's knee responds in training camp to determine what his role looks like. 

"Going into training camp, we're going to have to bring [Lonzo] up slowly," Karnisovas said. "He's already played 5-on-5, but we haven't seen him go through training camp so there's going to be a lot of learning experience during training camp and how he can take loads, everyday practices. We're going to take it one step at a time."

Ball expects to be on a minutes restriction to start out, and likely won't take part in back-to-backs, but felt optimistic about where he is as he prepares to make a comeback. He also realizes that the way he plays will have to change a bit after all the surgeries he went through.

"Obviously I'm not going to be as athletic as I once was before, but I feel like skill and IQ can go a long way, especially in the league," Ball said. "I'm not too worried about it, obviously my game's going to have to change a little bit, but I still know how to play the game and I think I can play at a high level."

Ball's return is a positive not just for the Bulls, but for his career, as he proved to be a strong two-way player prior to the injuries. He led a backcourt with Alex Caruso that created one of the best defensive duos in the NBA, and was a reliable 3-point threat for Chicago in his first year with the team. Ball was an essential cog on a Bulls team that stood near the top of the Eastern Conference standings prior to his knee injury.

But the Bulls team Ball is returning to this year is far removed from the one he joined in a sign-and-trade in the summer of 2021. Gone are DeMar DeRozan and Caruso, two guys who were integral in Chicago's lone successful season four years ago. Chicago's embracing a youth movement, and with that the expectations have drastically changed as the 2024-25 season nears.

"I feel like I can personally play with anybody," Ball said. "I feel a lot older coming back and seeing guys in here now, we have a young team. But I'm excited to get the year started."

Karnisovas has said multiple times that the team does not plan on tanking and the goal is to win games. That may be the case, but it's difficult to see this team contend for a playoff spot in a competitive Eastern Conference. And as far as Ball's role goes, he will more than likely see a shift in his place on this team as Chicago brought in Josh Giddey as part of the deal that sent Caruso to Oklahoma City. There's also the growth of Coby White, who was a finalist for Most Improved Player a year ago that the Bulls have to consider with Ball's return, as well as Ayo Dosunmu who finished out the year strong a season ago.

With the moves Chicago made in the offseason, it could be seen like the Bulls are ready to move on from Ball regardless of how he returns. Given they had to tread water without him for almost three seasons, it's understandable that Chicago wanted to trade for someone like Giddey, something that Ball also understands.

"I think they're trying to do what's best for the team," Ball said. " Obviously we had a lot of success when I was running point guard, getting rebounds, pushing it up, and Giddey is capable of doing the same thing. For me I look at it as like, they want to win the most games as possible, and they feel like he can do it, we feel like he can do it and that's why he's here."

When Ball's healthy, he's one of the best two-way guards in the league, capable of being a disruptive force on defense, making things easy for teammates with elite facilitation and knocking down 3s. But there's no telling if Ball can return to being that type of player after having what he says is a "brand new knee." If he can, it will be difficult for Donovan to keep him out of a significant role in the rotation, and maybe even the starting lineup. 

Those are all things that will need to be addressed further down the road, because there will undoubtedly be some rust Ball will have to knock off after being away from NBA action for nearly three years. But the prospect of seeing Ball play again will be welcome sight for the Bulls.