- Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic identifies the seven members of the Bulls most impacted by Lonzo Ball‘s uncertain future. Mayberry’s picks range from center Nikola Vucevic, whose free agency decision this summer could be influenced by Ball’s long-term absence, to president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, whose questionable roster decisions are increasingly under the microscope.
Bulls guard Lonzo Ball underwent successful knee surgery on Monday, head coach Billy Donovan told reporters, including Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link).
“We understand it’s going to be an uphill battle for him, but we know he’s going to do everything possible to get back on the court,” Donovan said.
According to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link), Donovan referred to Ball’s recovery timeline as “indefinite” and the team will prepare for next season’s training camp with the mentality that Ball will not be available.
Ball was set to receive a cartilage transplant in his left knee after two previous surgeries were unable to clear up persistent discomfort when he tried to ramp up his on-court activities. The 25-year-old has been sidelined since January 14, 2022, when he tore his meniscus.
This third surgery was something of a last resort, as there were reportedly concerns about Ball’s ability to resume playing. He could miss all of 2023/24 after missing the entire ’22/23 season.
In other health-related news for the Bulls, guard Alex Caruso will miss Monday’s game against Philadelphia, tweets Bulls radio play-by-play announcer Chuck Swirsky. He had previously been listed as questionable. As K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago notes (via Twitter), Caruso aggravated a left midfoot strain on Saturday, which caused him to leave the victory early.
On a positive note, forward Javonte Green will make his return to the lineup — he last played on December 31. Green underwent surgery in January, an arthroscopic debridement procedure on his right knee. An impending free agent, Green had been slow to recover, but was recently practicing with the team’s G League affiliate.
- Guard Patrick Beverley is averaging 6.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists since signing with the Bulls as a free agent. His impact has been far greater than his numbers, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes. “I just love his presence, his competitiveness,” coach Billy Donovan said. “The way he comes in on a back-to-back telling guys, ‘We got to be ready to play.’ I love his message and disposition and the way he is every day. He has a great motor, great enthusiasm, loves the game and loves competing. I love being around him.”
There are concerns that Lonzo Ball might miss all of next season after deciding to undergo a cartilage transplant in his left knee. Bulls coach Billy Donovan didn’t offer a specific prognosis, but he admitted Ball is facing “a long rehab,” writes Andrew Seligman of The Associated Press.
“For me to say, ‘I have no hope that he’s ever gonna play here again’ or ‘Yeah, he’s definitely going to be back,’ I just don’t know,” Donovan told reporters on Friday.
The procedure will be the third for Ball on his left knee in the past 14 months. He hasn’t played since January of 2022, but Donovan said his work ethic and attitude haven’t changed.
“Even though he comes in, he’s around the team for a period of time, there is a lot of time that he’s away from everybody,” Donovan said. “Just having to come to grips of not playing is really, really hard, I think, probably for him to absorb. But he handles himself incredibly well. He’s so consistent all the time with his spirit and disposition and what he’s tried to do every step of the way to get back.”
There’s more from Chicago:
- Ball’s latest setback will force the Bulls to address their point guard situation this summer, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, who adds that it’s hard to understand why the team wasn’t more aggressive in finding a replacement at the trade deadline. With no cap space and limited draft assets, the trade market appears to be the team’s best option. Mayberry notes that it’s now more likely that the Bulls will try to re-sign some combination of free agent guards Patrick Beverley, Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White.
- DeMar DeRozan didn’t consider sitting out tonight’s game after playing 52 minutes and scoring 49 points in Friday’s double-overtime contest, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. With 13 games remaining and the Bulls fighting for a play-in spot, DeRozan understands there’s no time for load management. “I hoop all summer for free,” he said. “Why not do it when you’re getting paid for it? I’m looking forward to it.”
- Javonte Green is trending toward a return after missing more than two months following arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, Johnson tweets. Green was able to practice Friday with the Bulls’ G League affiliate, and Donovan said team doctors want to see how he responds to numerous practice sessions.
- While the Bulls remain on the outside of the play-in picture in the East, they’ve found success with a starting lineup featuring new addition Patrick Beverley, Alex Caruso, and their three stars (Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic). As Rob Schaefer of Bulls.com observes, no five-man unit that has played at least 150 minutes this season has a better net rating than Chicago’s group (plus-23.6).
Fans of lottery-bound NBA teams will be keeping a close on the bottom of the league’s standings down the stretch because of the effect that “race” will have on the draft order and lottery odds for the 2023 first round.
However, it’s not just the first round of the draft that’s worth keeping an eye on. Those reverse standings will also dictate the order of the draft’s second round, and an early second-round pick can be nearly as valuable as a first-rounder.
[RELATED: Traded Second-Round Picks For 2023 NBA Draft]
Here are a few of the traded 2023 draft picks that project to land near the top of the second round:
From: Houston Rockets
To: Indiana Pacers or Boston Celtics
Current projection: No. 32
The Rockets initially traded their 2023 second-round pick, with top-32 protection, to Memphis at the 2020 trade deadline as part of a Bruno Caboclo/Jordan Bell swap. The Celtics later acquired that top-32 protected second-rounder during the 2020 offseason in the deal that sent the draft rights to No. 30 pick Desmond Bane to the Grizzlies.
As part of the complex four-team James Harden blockbuster in early 2021, the Rockets agreed to send the Pacers their 2023 second-round pick if it ends up at No. 31 and No. 32. So the Pacers are on track to receive that Houston second-rounder if it’s one of the first two picks of the round, while the Celtics would get it otherwise.
We took a closer look at this draft-related subplot of the NBA’s race to the bottom last week, noting that the Pacers could instead end up with a pick in the early 50s if the Rockets’ second-rounder slips to No. 33. Missing out on Houston’s pick wouldn’t be quite as bad for the Celtics, as we outline below.
From: Portland Trail Blazers
To: Boston Celtics or Oklahoma City Thunder
Current projection: No. 36
If the Rockets’ second-round pick ends up at No. 31 or No. 32, the Celtics will almost certainly receive Portland’s pick instead. If Houston’s second-rounder lands at No. 33, Boston would get it, while the Thunder would acquire the Blazers’ pick.
Should the Blazers’ recent slide continue, their second-rounder may not actually be much less favorable than Houston’s — only four spots separate them for the time being.
The Blazers originally gave up their 2023 second-round selection when they acquired Rodney Hood from Cleveland just ahead of the 2019 deadline. It was subsequently flipped to the Pistons (in the 2019 offeason), the Clippers (in the 2020 offseason), the Hawks (at the 2021 deadline), and finally the Celtics in a three-team trade during the summer of 2021.
When they acquired Mike Muscala from the Thunder last month, the Celtics agreed to send OKC the least favorable of their two 2023 second-round picks, which is why the Thunder would receive Portland’s pick if Boston gets Houston’s.
From: Chicago Bulls
To: Washington Wizards
Current projection: No. 37
The Bulls remain in the thick of the play-in race in the Eastern Conference, so it’s possible their second-rounder could slide all the way to the mid-40s if they make the play-in tournament and then earn a playoff spot. However, the Wizards – the team the Bulls are chasing for the No. 10 spot in the East – have extra incentive to stay ahead of Chicago, thereby increasing the value of this pick.
The Wizards acquired this Bulls second-rounder with top-36 protection when they sent Otto Porter Jr. to Chicago at the 2019 deadline. The Bulls agreed to remove the protections as part of their sign-and-trade deal for Tomas Satoransky later that year.
Interestingly, the Wizards actually traded Chicago’s 2023 second-rounder to the Lakers as part of the Russell Westbrook blockbuster in the summer of 2021, but got it back from L.A. a couple months ago in the Rui Hachimura deal.
From: Indiana Pacers
To: Sacramento Kings
Current projection: No. 38
Like the Bulls, the Pacers are still in the play-in race in the East, so there’s no guarantee this pick will land in the top 10 of the second round. But Indiana has a banged-up roster and doesn’t appear overly incentivized to make the play-in tournament.
This pick changed hands in the Domantas Sabonis/Tyrese Haliburton mega-deal at the 2022 trade deadline. Technically, the Spurs would receive it if it lands between Nos. 56 and 60, but we can safely rule out that possibility at this point.
Other picks to watch:
Given how congested the play-in races are in each conference, there are a handful of other second-rounders whose value could surpass that of a couple of the picks listed above.
For instance, the Jazz‘s second-round pick is currently controlled by the Hornets, the Spurs own the Raptors‘ second-rounder, and the Thunder will acquire the Wizards‘ second-rounder if it’s more favorable than OKC’s own pick.
The Pacers have yet to supply a concrete timeline for rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin‘s return from his right ankle, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle did reveal that Mathurin will not suit up for the team in Thursday’s game against the mighty Bucks.
“He may travel, but he’s not going to play in the next game,” Carlisle said on Wednesday. “I’m not going to give you a timetable, but he’s not going to play in Milwaukee. He is doing better.”
Dopirak adds in another tweet that both Mathurin and second-year swingman Chris Duarte will be sidelined for today’s game. Starters Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Myles Turner, plus reserve point guard T.J. McConnell, are all questionable to suit up. Haliburton is dealing with a right ankle sprain.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- Bucks wing Grayson Allen will also miss Thursday’s bout against the Pacers, his second straight absence, due to right plantar fascia soreness, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link).
- Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen will remain out the team’s next game, Friday against the Wizards, due to a right eye contusion, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link).
- Bulls wing Alex Caruso was held out of a recent team practice due to an unspecified illness, but is currently somewhat on the mend, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). That said, he is questionable to play on Friday for Chicago, when they will square off against the Timberwolves. Should Caruso sit, it is likely that reserve forward Patrick Williams would returning to the club’s starting five.
5:22pm: In a press release, the Bulls have added further details on what Ball’s procedure will entail, revealing that the guard will receive a cartilage transplant in his left knee.
“My main focus has been on returning to the court getting to a place where I can rejoin my teammates,” Ball was quoted as saying in the team statement. “This has been a frustrating process, but I’m confident these next steps are the best path forward.”
3:29pm: Bulls guard Lonzo Ball will undergo left knee surgery, his third in the past 14 months. The surgery is expected to cause him to miss “most, if not all,” of next season, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link).
There have been concerns about Ball’s ability to resume playing, but there is optimism that another surgery could help him revive his career, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Charania reported a similar sentiment.
The Bulls’ PR department confirmed the news that Ball will have a third left knee surgery, as K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. Johnson hears from a source that a return timeline won’t be known until the surgery has been performed, and it could be “nebulous.”
Wojnarowski reported last week that a third left knee surgery was being considered. Ball’s initial injury was a torn meniscus on January 14, 2022. He was originally projected to miss just a few weeks following his first knee surgery that month, but he experienced multiple complications which caused him to miss the remainder of last season.
Ball underwent an arthroscopic debridement procedure last September to clear up lingering issues with his knee. He has made incremental progress since then, but he still can’t run, cut or jump without feeling pain in the knee.
The 25-year-old did not play at all in 2022/23 and was officially ruled out for the remainder of the season last month.
It has been a brutal process for both Ball and the Bulls, who were playing terrific basketball before their starting point guard went down last season. At the time of Ball’s injury last January, Chicago had a 27-13 record. They finished last season 19-23 without Ball and have gone 31-37 this season, currently holding the No. 11 seed in the East.
Ball came to Chicago in a sign-and-trade deal with New Orleans in the summer of 2021. He played strong defense and was a dynamic open-court play-maker during his 35 games (34.6 MPG) with the Bulls last season, averaging 13.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.8 SPG and 0.9 BPG on .423/.423/.750 shooting.
Ball still has two years left on his contract with the Bulls beyond this season. He’s owed a guaranteed $20.5MM salary next season, with a $21.4MM player option for 2024/25.
- Bulls head coach Billy Donovan says Alex Caruso has been ruled out of Wednesday’s game against Sacramento, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter links). The defensive stalwart had previously been listed as questionable with an illness. The Bulls are competing for a spot in the play-in tournament, so Caruso will certainly be missed versus the Kings.
Coby White didn’t get an extension last offseason, meaning he’ll be a free agent this summer. The Bulls can make him a restricted free agent by extending him a qualifying offer of $7.74MM.
The fourth-year guard wants to build up his value and show his versatility this season, he told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times.
“I just wanted to take steps this year and prove that I could do things that people thought I couldn’t do,’’ White said. “But with all that said, you just never know in this league, this business. You never know what’s really going on. So I just have to keep the mindset of keep it steady, keep it consistent, and hopefully everything will take care of itself.’’
White has been in the rotation much of the year, averaging a career-low 8.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 22.3 minutes per game.
We have more on the Bulls:
- With Lonzo Ball possibly undergoing another procedure on his knee, the team’s brass will ponder whether to bring in another starter-level point guard this summer, Cowley writes in the same piece. “I do think the front office, ownership, will sit down after [Ball’s] decision is made, look at a timetable of how long this rehab and recovery will be, and then make decisions from there on what are the expectations of him coming back, what will the length of the rehab look like, how much more time he’ll miss?’’ coach Billy Donovan said. “I think that will be a conversation we would all have at the end of the year.’’
- Zach LaVine says that Patrick Beverley has been a huge boost since joining the team as a free agent, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. “Energy. Heart. Toughness. Vocal. He gets us going,” LaVine said. “You can see how much he cares about winning and his teammates. We definitely needed someone like that. It shows with the impact he has on the game.”
- Javonte Green was able to run and cut during practice for a second straight day, according to Donovan, Johnson tweets. An update on Green’s status is expected next week. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Jan. 11.
- Nikola Vucevic‘s stats haven’t changed much from last season, other than his shooting percentage (51.2% compared to 47.3%). However, he feels like he’s having a better year than his first full season with the franchise, according to Johnson. “Last season, I felt I was up and down a little bit while trying to figure out my role,” said Vucevic, a free agent after this season. “So it was very important for me to come back and have a strong season and play well. I think I’ve been able to do that.”
- The Bulls will have to adjust defensively to different styles in order to nail down a play-in tournament berth, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic writes. They begin a three-game homestand against the Kings on Wednesday. “We better be able to,” LaVine said. “You can’t take the same plan into each game, especially defensively. Going up against Sacramento coming up now, you can’t treat them like they’re Houston. … So it’s another thing for us to lock into. And after that game, you’ve got to switch it up and get ready for the next team.”