For weeks, the Bulls media has been reporting about the inevitable surrounding Lonzo Ball and his dwindling chances of playing this season.
On Tuesday, the organization made it official.
In a statement from executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, the point guard was ruled out for the remainder of the 2022-23 season in the wake of two left knee surgeries in less than a year.
“Despite making significant increases in strength and function over the past several months, Bulls guard Lonzo Ball continues to experience performance limiting discomfort during participation in high level basketball-related activities,’’ Karnisovas said. “Considering the required time period to achieve the necessary level of fitness to return-to-play and the current stage of the NBA season, Ball will not return this season. The focus for Ball will continue to be on the resolution of his discomfort and a full return for the 2023-24 season.’’
Big picture for the organization? A lot of crossing of the fingers as Ball continues to rehab the knee the rest of this season and into the summer.
When the organization acquired the point guard from New Orleans in a sign-and-trade, he was given a four-year, $85 million deal. Two years into the deal, he has just 35 games as a Bull on the resume. To put that in perspective, he made just under $1.1 million per game when he played.
If — and it’s still an if — he can return for the start of next season, he will make $20.4 million in Year 3 of the deal, and if it goes well, he owns the option for Year 4 at $21.3 million.
Not the only tricky obstacle with this injury, either. There’s the basketball side of it as well.
Ball was an essential piece to this reload two years ago. It was his defense — along with Alex Caruso — that was going to cover up the deficiencies of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan on that side of the ball.
At 6-foot-6, Ball was being counted on to use his positional size advantage to be a factor in the rebounding game, which has been another issue for this team, and also push the pace of play, add three-point shooting, and be the true play-maker in offensive sets.
Basically, his presence would have covered up most of the areas that this group has failed in executing.
Considering his current medical situation, he’s all but untradeable for now, and even if he can answer the bell for the start of the 2023-24 campaign, he will have spent almost 650 days on the shelf between playing in an NBA game.
Ball spoke to the media last month when the team was in Paris, and addressed just how difficult this was on him mentally.
“I mean, it’s the longest I’ve ever been out,’’ Ball said. “I’ve been playing basketball my whole life, so for me it’s a lot, especially just watching the guys every night and watching them go on planes and come back and stuff. I’m always just watching practice, I feel like. I’ve just gotta stay positive and do what I can to get on the court.’’
Short-term for the Bulls, however, there’s still a season to finish, and with 23 games left, a playoff chase to try and push into.
That’s why Chicago’s own Patrick Beverley was being brought into the mix, with the hope that the point guard can add some fire and defense to a 26-33 team sitting in the No. 11 spot in the Eastern Conference.
Can he do what Ball does? No, and Beverley won’t be expected to.
Players with Ball’s skillset aren’t easy to replace. The Bulls have been finding that out first-hand.
