Bulls' Lonzo Ball Will Undergo Third Surgery, Timetable Uncertain

Lonzo Ball will undergo third surgery; timetable uncertain originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

Lonzo Ball will undergo a third surgery on his left knee, the Chicago Bulls confirmed to NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson on Thursday. 

The timetable for his return is uncertain and will be unknown until the surgery is complete.

Lonzo Ball will undergo a third surgery on his left knee, Bulls PR confirms. A timetable for his return is uncertain and won’t be known until surgery is completed, per source. And even then, the timeline could be nebulous.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) March 16, 2023

The operation will become the fourth surgery he's received on his left knee in his lifetime and the third since joining the Bulls. In January 2022, Ball underwent surgery on the knee to repair a torn meniscus. In September, after enduring a painful summer attempting to rehab the knee, he underwent an arthroscopic debridement aimed at treating a nerve problem and clearing debris. 

The task for the upcoming surgery is unknown. Since attempting to return to the floor after his second surgery, Ball has continued to experience discomfort and at one point tried changing his running gait. He posted a video of him running, dunking a basketball and performing hurdle drills during the winter. 

The Bulls officially shut down Ball from returning to the 2022-23 season in February, just after the All-Star break. 

Next season will be Ball's third with the Bulls. He has a player option for the fourth year of his deal. Should his injury be deemed as career-ending, the Bulls have insurance on his $80 million guaranteed deal, sources told NBC Sports Chicago a while back. 

In Paris, Ball told NBC Sports Chicago he wasn't fearful of the injury threatening his career.

“I just think it’s time-consuming,” Ball said. “This is my third surgery, I had two last year. It’s about building that strength back up and the confidence in myself. I’m only 25, so I’m not too worried about (career-ending injury.)”

Ball's impact on the court has been severely missed by the Bulls. In the first 35 games he played wearing a Bulls uniform during the 2021-22 season, before going down with the meniscus tear, he averaged 13 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists. 

His persistence in wreaking havoc on defense, adding a wrinkle to the Bulls' offense in transition and becoming arguably the Bulls' best outside shooter at the time are all irreplaceable traits on the current Bulls' roster.