Bulls' Lonzo Ball (knee) expected to miss 2023-24 season

Lonzo Ball continues to recover from a left knee injury suffered in 2022.

The Chicago Bulls plan to not have guard Lonzo Ball in the lineup for the entire 2023-24 season, executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said Thursday.

“Everything is going well,” Karnisovas said. “Going into the offseason, I think our expectation is that he’s not coming back next season and he’s going to continue on his recovery.

“If he comes back, it would be great but we’re just going to treat this offseason and getting ready for the season that he’s not going to be back.”

Karnisovas told reporters Thursday the Bulls have no plans to waive Ball — who signed a four-year, $80 million deal with Chicago in 2021 — before the season.

“I hope eventually we’re going to see him on a basketball court,” Karnisovas said. “But I do not think he’s going to be back next year.”

Ball has been out of the lineup because of a baffling left knee injury that has kept him out of the lineup since January 2022. He had a cartilage transplant in March, his third operation on the knee in a little more than a year. Karnisovas said Ball stopped using crutches last month.

“My main focus has been on returning to the court and getting to a place where I can rejoin my teammates,” Ball said in a statement from the team after his cartilage surgery in March.

“This has been a frustrating process, but I’m confident these next steps are the best path forward. The support of my family, friends, fans and medical staff throughout my recovery is what keeps me moving forward. I can’t wait to get back to what I love doing most – playing basketball.”

Ball had his initial surgery in January 2022 to have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and was expected to be out six to eight weeks. Then, in September 2022, he had an arthroscopic debridement of his left knee and was expected to miss the start of the 2022-23 season. In mid-February 2023, the Bulls officially ruled Ball out for the season.