There’s a decent chance that Lonzo Ball hasn’t played in an NBA game for almost three calendar years.
Ball will undergo his third knee surgery since January of last year, already putting next season in doubt, according to The Athletic.
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Lonzo Ball of the Chicago Bulls watches from the bench as his teammates take on the Milwaukee Bucks at the United Center on April 5, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bucks defeated the Bulls 127-106. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
the third surgery could revive Ball’s career Despite all the wasted time.
The former No. 2 pick hasn’t played in 14 months and has already been ruled out for the rest of this season. If he misses all of next year, it will be 33 months since his last NBA action.
The Los Angeles Lakers selected Ball with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. After two seasons, he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the successful Anthony Davis trade. He then made a sign-and-trade with the Bulls, whom he extended to a four-year, $85 million deal in August 2021.
Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, left, drives to the basket as Miami Heat guard Gabe Vincent, right, defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday December 11, 2021, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
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He played in 35 games in his first year under contract, but hasn’t played since Jan. 14, 2022.
Coming out of UCLA, Ball was a highly touted prospect: he scored 14.6 points and dished out 7.6 assists per game in his one season with the Bruins; the team would lose in the March Madness Sweet 16 tournament.
Lonzo Ball of the Chicago Bulls looks on at the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at the United Center on January 13, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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But in his NBA career, Ball is averaging just 11.9 points per game, and his 14.6 in 2020-21 is a career high. He has shot 40.0% from the ground in his career and 36.4% from three.