UCLA Basketball: Stunning Health Update on Bruins-Turned-Bulls Guard Lonzo Ball

Will he actually return?

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Former UCLA basketball standout Lonzo Ball is set on returning to play next season. Ball, who played for the Bruins from 2016-17, has not played in a game since January of 2022 as he's dealt with ongoing knee issues after he tore his meniscus in 2022. He has since undergone multiple knee surgeries, which have kept him off the court for three years.

Per The Athletic's Darnell Mayberry, the Chicago Bulls are confident Ball will return to play for the team at some point next season. They do not have a specific timeline yet or know what his role will be, but believe he will be able to come back.

The Bulls finished last season with a 39-43 record and failed to make the playoffs after being unable to qualify during the NBA Play-In Tournament. Chicago would of course love to have another key piece in Ball back for next year, but expectations will naturally be low after he missed multiple years with these recurring injuries.

When he was last healthy during the 2021-22 season, Ball averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.

Back at UCLA, Ball spent only one year in college basketball, but he made it a memorable one. The 6-foot-6 point guard averaged 14.6 points and 7.6 assists per game as a freshman, and set the UCLA single-season assists record and led the NCAA in assists that year. Ball was named a consensus All-American, the NABC Freshman of the Year, and the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year for his efforts. He then went on to become the No. 2 overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017, and later played for the New Orleans Pelicans and now the Bulls.

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