Lonzo Ball last played in an NBA game on January 14, 2022. It was announced that the Chicago Bulls guard had a meniscus injury and that he would miss at least the next three games.
Those three games turned into six weeks after Ball underwent surgery to repair the meniscus. Ball would go on to have issues during his recovery process, at which point he was shut down for the remainder of the season.
Ball would go on to miss the entire 2022-23 season after experiencing multiple setbacks and challenges in his effort to recover from his knee injuries.
Bulls EVP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas recently provided an update on Ball, and unfortunately it isn't promising.
Karnisova says that as the Bulls prepare to head into the offseason, they do not expect Ball to be ready to return in the 2023-24 season.
That would mean two full seasons missed for Ball, who signed with the Bulls back in 2021.
Chicago gave Ball a four-year, $85 million contract extension that season, and he's only appeared in 35 games for the team over the last two years. Since last playing in January of 2022, Ball has had three procedures on his knee.
"I hope eventually we're going to see him on a basketball court," Karnisovas said.
"But I do not think he's going to be back next year."