Report: Bulls guard Lonzo Ball will be back Wednesday

Lonzo Ball, a guard for the Chicago Bulls, has been out for two seasons with a serious knee injury. ESPN reported Monday that he is due to return on Wednesday.

Three nights before the season starts, the Bulls will play the Minnesota Timberwolves. Chicago’s first game of the season is on October 23 at New Orleans.

Ball, who is 26 years old, hasn’t played for Chicago since January 14, 2022. Since then, he’s had many surgeries on his left knee, including a rare double cartilage exchange.

If Ball, the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, could make a full recovery, it would be a medical miracle. Last year, he had surgery that included a meniscus transplant and an osteochondral allograft to fix the joint tissue that was damaged.

“This is something that no one has really come back from,” Ball said earlier this month at Chicago’s media day.

“… my knee feels pretty much brand new. That means it will never be the same as what God gave me at the beginning. I feel good, though, and I’m healthy enough to play. All that really counts is being able to handle it all year and being available.

When he was traded to the Lakers before the 2021–22 season, Ball averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.8 steals in 35 games before he was shut down.

Out of 252 games (239 starts), he has averaged 11.9 points, 6.2 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals for the Lakers (2017–19), the Pelicans (2019–21), and the Bulls.