Lonzo Ball Likely to Return in 2025 With Inexact Timeline, per Report

The Bulls guard hasn't played since Jan. 2022.

Oct 2, 2023; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (2) during Chicago Bulls Media Day at Advocate Center. / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball's hypothetical return to game action has been a long time coming.

Ball played his last basketball game on Jan. 14, 2022 — a 138-96 loss in Chicago to a Golden State Warriors team that went on to win the NBA title. Since then, his once-promising career has been derailed by a nagging knee injury.

However, there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel. The Bulls expect Ball to return at some point during the 2025 season, according to a Tuesday afternoon report from Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.

"Team officials are confident Ball, out since Jan. 14, 2022, due to a chronic knee ailment, will play next season. They’re just not as confident about when," Mayberry wrote. "Opening night doesn’t sound likely."

Ball will turn 27 on Oct. 27; he was just 24 in Jan. 2022. If the former Los Angeles Laker and New Orleans Pelican can summon even a fraction of his early-career magic upon his return, Chicago fans will be in for a treat.