Lonzo Ball is one of the Ball brothers to make it to the NBA. His brother LaMelo Ball currently plays for the Charlotte Hornets and seems to be doing fairly well. The Hornets had another Ball brother on the roster in LiAngelo but later waived him recently. Only Lonzo and LaMelo remain in the NBA. Their dad, LaVar, dreamt of seeing all of his sons play on the same team, and this dream still seems to be a long shot away.
Lonzo joined the league when the Los Angeles Lakers picked him up at #2 at the 2017 NBA Draft. Interestingly, Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum also came to the league that year after the franchise acquired him at #3. They have had contrasting careers, as Ball’s time in the league has been piled with injuries. Lonzo has been on the sidelines for a significant amount of time but has managed to pocket a decent amount with his Bulls contract.
He signed a 4-year contract before the 2021-22 NBA season. The deal is worth about $80 million and Lonzo will enter free agency in 2025. The interesting point about his contract is that it was a sign-and-trade agreement with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans sent Lonzo to the Bulls and received Tomas Satoransky and Garrett Temple.
When will Lonzo Ball return from injury?
It is no secret that Lonzo Ball has been struggling with injuries in recent years. He has only played 252 games despite being in the league for 5 seasons. It indicates how Ball has not had much luck when it comes to staying injury-free. Speaking of his setbacks, Lonzo could be going through the hardest time of his career as a player right now.
Breaking: The Bulls announced that Lonzo Ball will not return this season as he continues to experience performance limiting discomfort during participation in high level basketball-related activities. pic.twitter.com/SawUpTnajf
— ESPN (@espn) February 21, 2023
Recently, the Bulls announced that Lonzo will be shut down for the rest of the season. For those who don’t know, Ball had to undergo surgery to fix a torn meniscus prior before the 2022-23 NBA season. The world expected him to be back after a couple of months, but it looks like his return date has been delayed now. Ball displayed convincing symptoms of an early return and even said that he was moving around again. However, it looks like things have taken a drastic turn.
The Bulls are currently the 11th seed in the East with 26 wins and 33 losses. They were not active in the trade market earlier this month and Lonzo’s injury status will surely be another huge blow as well. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine are still struggling to help the Bulls gain momentum and build a winning form. It will be interesting to see if they turn the ship around with one of the best players on the roster; Lonzo.