In January, Lonzo Ball suffered a meniscus injury that required season-ending surgery. His recovery timeline was 6-8 weeks, but the injury was not actually considered season-ending until that timeline had elapsed. Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan told reporters that Ball was having trouble “ramping up” and would need additional recovery time.
According to a recent report from Darnell Mayberry for The Athletic, Ball is still feeling “not right” almost six months since his surgery. An injury that he was originally targeting to return from in the playoffs has now cast doubt upon his availability for the beginning of next season.
The Bulls enter the 2022 offseason with many items on their to-do list. First of course being to re-sign Zach Lavine in unrestricted free agency, where he has made it known that he expects to be offered his maximum allowable salary and will be open to offers from other teams. Next, the Bulls will likely look to add wing depth and front court depth.
Now, a new concern has emerged for Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley: the potential absence of Lonzo Ball. Without Ball’s defense, shooting, and full-court playmaking, the Bulls often found themselves outmatched on the perimeter and going for long stretches of cold, stagnant offense. With the knowledge that he might not be available to begin next season, the Bulls might look to add a veteran point guard to hold down the fort while Ball continues his rehab.
Veteran Point Guards Entering Free Agency
The Chicago Bulls are facing an uphill battle against the cap this offseason. Zach Lavine’s likely max contract extension will put the Bulls back into the luxury tax, and prevent the team from spending big in free agency. The team’s best bet is to work within the margins and look for veterans willing to play for less money or low-risk high-reward players looking to boost their value for their next contract.
Some veteran point guards entering NBA free agency that the Chicago Bulls should consider include Ricky Rubio, Avery Bradley, and Austin Rivers. A tier below them includes some familiar names, too, like Rajon Rondo, D.J. Augustin, and Goran Dragic. These are all players with over a decade in the league and have recently bounced from team to team. They likely will be looking to sign with a contender for a low price. Why not the Bulls?
There are also some players entering free agency that could realistically get paid more elsewhere, but might be willing to take a pay cut to come to Chicago for a season to boost the value for their next contract. Those names include Dennis Schroder and Jevon Carter.
Schroder and Dragic were linked to the Bulls in trade talks leading up to the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline. Schroder’s brand of point of attack defense specifically could be a good fit to help mitigate the loss of Lonzo Ball, while the playmaking and veteran presence of a player like Ricky Rubio makes him an enticing option. Rubio, unfortunately, is recovering from his own knee injury, so he doesn’t make much sense as a Ball replacement, but could still be a low-risk signing worth taking a look at.
Is Lonzo Ball’s Career In Jeopardy?
Lonzo Ball has played five seasons in the NBA so far in his career. Of those, there have only been three seasons in which he played in at least 50 games. The most games he’s played in a single season was 63 in his first year with the Pelicans. Ball has unfortunately been tagged as an “injury-prone player” at this point.
Is there a reason for concern surrounding Lonzo Ball’s knee? Sadly, yes. He has yet to play a full season in the league and it seems that his body does not respond well to rehab. His recovery timeline has been pushed back numerous times, which is a huge concern for a player that the Bulls just invested a lot of money into.
Now, there’s no telling how the rest of his career will pan out. Ball could come back from this and remain injury-free for years to come, we’ve already seen Zach Lavine do something similar from his ACL tear in 2017. But the Bulls would be foolish not to consider the possibility that Ball will simply need to be treated differently in regards to his availability. He might need to be a “load management” guy, with frequent breaks throughout the regular season.
Ultimately, the goal is to get the Chicago Bulls back to the playoffs at full health. In order to do that, Lonzo Ball needs to make it through an entire NBA season. If the Bulls want to accomplish those goals, they will need to be realistic about Ball’s minutes and create a plan centered around keeping his legs fresh deep into March, April, and beyond. On nights when Ball won’t be available, the Bulls will also need a viable replacement who can provide skills similar to his.
We already had a pretty good idea of what will be on the wish list for the Bulls front office this offseason. Lonzo Ball’s injury has added a new challenge to the mix. It’s now on AK and Marc Eversley to navigate the cap and find a way to make their wishes come true.