According to Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, the pain in Lonzo Ball’s knee has been completely “eliminated,” and he is slated to return to running at some point in January. Before the season, Ball, who has not appeared in a game since January of 2022, was set to miss the entirety of the season.
Per Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune, who posted Donovan’s comments to Twitter, Ball is still not expected to make a return to action this year. That said, the fact that he’s no longer feeling pain in his knee is a great sign for the future of the Bulls and, more specifically, Ball’s future in the NBA.
When Ball was healthy, the Bulls were one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference, but ever since he went down, they’ve struggled to maintain a spot in the Play-In race.
That said, they’ve found their footing as of late. The emergence of Coby White as one of the better point guards in the league has helped them climb all the way back into the Play-In picture, and after a 5-14 start to the year, that’s a huge improvement.
Add in all the trade rumblings surrounding Zach LaVine (and the rest of the roster), and this year has been quite an intriguing one for the Bulls. And now, Ball’s potential return to running has added yet another storyline to watch.
If Ball can get back out on the court for the Bulls sometime next season, it would be absolutely huge for the organization.
