Lonzo Ball

Bulls’ Lonzo Ball Still Unable To Sprint

February 27th, 2024 at 10:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There is increasing concern about the progress of Lonzo Ball‘s rehab, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Ball was supposed to begin sprinting in January, but that still hasn’t happened, per Cowley. The Bulls point guard hasn’t played since January 2022. He has undergone three surgeries on his left knee since then, including a cartilage transplant last March.

“I don’t know if he’s stuck,” coach Billy Donovan said. “He is doing some shooting, some running, some jumping. He hasn’t done any sprinting yet, that I know.”

Donovan stopped short of calling it a setback.

“They talked about that, and (sprinting) was kind of a goal, a setpoint,” he said. “I do think the one thing that has been a priority right now so he does not get set back is he needs to develop more strength in his leg. Because of him having that surgery and being off his leg so long, before he’s really able to ramp up I think they want him to get to a place physically that relates to his quad strength, hamstring strength, before he starts to really do that. I don’t want to say it’s a holdup, but that’s where they want to get him to. In terms of what he’s doing, he feels better.”

Most of Ball’s rehab work this season has been done in Los Angeles, though he has spent some time in Chicago. The veteran guard expressed optimism last summer that his latest procedure would eventually get him back in action.

Ball holds a player option of approximately $21.4MM on the final year of his contract. It’s a virtual certainty he’ll opt it, given how long he’s been sidelined. It’s too soon to know how his body will respond once he progresses to sprinting and basketball-related drills, but there’s certainly no guarantee he’ll return to action next season.

Chicago has lost Ball’s former backcourt partner Zach LaVine to a season-ending foot injury this season. Power forward Patrick Williams has also been lost for the season with his own foot issues.

Bulls Notes: LaVine, Trade Talks, Ball, Craig

February 3rd, 2024 at 9:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Zach LaVine and the Bulls explored several options before the decision was made to have surgery to relieve the pain in his right foot, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. The team announced earlier today that LaVine has opted for a surgical procedure with a projected recovery time of four-to-six months, which should have him ready well before the start of training camp.

“Everybody’s been in lockstep,” coach Billy Donovan told reporters before tonight’s game. “It wasn’t necessarily an organizational decision of, ‘Hey, listen, he needs to do surgery.’ It was, like, ‘Listen, this is still a problem. We need to start talking to other people as well to try to get different opinions.’”

LaVine missed 17 games earlier in the season because of discomfort in his foot. He was able to return and play seven games last month before suffering a sprained right ankle. That injury has healed, but LaVine is once again being bothered by foot pain. Donovan expressed empathy for his star guard, saying he hates being sidelined with injuries.

“Personally, I feel bad for him,” Donovan added. “I know how bad he wants to play and how badly he wants to be out there. When he can’t be out there, it just bothers him. He just wants to play.”

There’s more from Chicago:

The Bulls’ most recent trade discussions with the Pistons regarding LaVine focused on Bojan Bogdanovic and Joe Harris, league sources tell K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. The sources weren’t certain if there were draft picks involved from either team. Johnson also speculates on whether LaVine’s surgery will affect the front office’s desire to hold onto DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso through the trade deadline in hopes of chasing a spot in the postseason. Johnson identifies the Warriors as one of several teams that have inquired about Caruso.
Lonzo Ball provided an update on his condition during an appearance on the NBC Sports Chicago telecast of Friday’s game, Johnson relays in a separate story. Ball, who has been sidelined for more than two full years and has undergone three knee surgeries, said he’s trying to stay positive and appreciate little signs of progress. “Definitely doing much better in rehab,” he said. “It’s been a long process, obviously, longer than I’d like it to be. It’s definitely cut out in stages and I keep checking off the boxes I’m supposed to and getting better each week.”
Torrey Craig returned tonight after missing the last 22 games due to right plantar fascia, Johnson tweets.

Bulls Notes: Trade Deadline, LaVine, Williams, Ball

January 15th, 2024 at 8:02am CST by Arthur Hill

A few weeks ago, the Bulls seemed likely to be among the NBA’s most active teams heading into the trade deadline, but their recent surge may have changed that, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

Chicago has won 14 of its last 22 games after a 5-14 start to move into ninth place in the Eastern Conference. The team is still below .500 and another play-in appearance seems like the best-case scenario, but the players still have 11 games before the deadline to convince management that this group is worthy of being kept together.

‘‘Trying not to veer out of my lane too much, but when we play the right way, we’re a good team,’’ said Alex Caruso, who would have plenty of suitors if the Bulls decide to move him. ‘‘I think we’ve proven that a little bit last year and this year, even though you can’t put much weight in seasons you’re not in [the playoffs]. But we’ve beaten good teams, we’ve shown we can play with the good teams, and that’s the way you win late in the season. For us, it’s just about the consistency of it. Move or no move, we’ve got to show up and do our job, keep trying to win games and be a team that can beat good teams late in the season.’’

Chicago’s most significant improvement has been on defense, Cowley adds. The team has ranked seventh in the league in defensive efficiency over its last 22 games after placing 22nd in the first 19. The offense is also getting better, moving from 26th to 18th in that same span. Nikola Vucevic believes the Bulls can continue their progress, but he realizes that front office decisions are beyond his control.

‘‘I’m happy with the guys we have here, and I think we can play even better than we have,” he said. “We have a lot more to show than we have so far. Whatever the front office wants to do, that’s on them.’’

There’s more from Chicago:

Zach LaVine‘s future will be the most important decision facing the team in the second half of the season, notes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. The Bulls began looking for someone to take LaVine’s pricey contract in November, but there’s been no indication of any progress. Chicago began its turnaround while LaVine was sidelined with inflammation in his right foot and has gone 4-1 since he returned. “I think he’s flowing really well,” Caruso said. “When he gets to the paint, he’s making really good reads and not forcing anything. When he does that, he plays better and it makes our offense easier. It simplifies stuff for us.”
Right ankle soreness caused Patrick Williams to sit out Saturday for the second time in five games, Johnson states in a separate story. Williams has been playing through pain for several weeks, and coach Billy Donovan is hoping he’ll be active for tonight’s game at Cleveland.
Sunday marked the two-year anniversary of Lonzo Ball‘s last game, Johnson adds in another piece. Ball has undergone three surgeries on his left knee since then, including a cartilage transplant last March. Donovan said Ball is slated to start running later this month, and he’ll connect with the team during next week’s visit to Los Angeles, where the guard is rehabbing the knee.

Central Notes: LaVine, Ball, Lillard, Beasley, Cunningham

January 8th, 2024 at 5:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls continue to make Zach LaVine available but they’re not looking to ship out multiple veterans and enter into a full-fledged rebuild, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post.

In fact, the Bulls haven’t ruled out using Lonzo Ball‘s insurance-covered contract as part of a trade package to be buyers on the market. LaVine holds a $21,395,348 player option on his contract for next season. However, 80% of Ball’s contract is covered by league-provided insurance because he’s been sidelined so long. A potential trade partner could lower its payroll by acquiring Ball and inheriting the Bulls’ insurance payments.

We have more from the Central Division:

Speaking of LaVine, who returned from a foot injury on Friday, he’s now dealing with right shoulder soreness, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. LaVine is available for tonight’s game against Charlotte after being listed as questionable.
Damian Lillard will miss the Bucks’ game on Monday for personal reasons, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. Lillard, averaging 25.1 points and 6.9 assists in his first season with Milwaukee, has played in 34 of the Bucks’ first 36 games.
Malik Beasley wasn’t upset that Bucks coach Adrian Griffin benched him at the beginning of the second half against Houston on Saturday, Nehm adds in another tweet. “It was just coach’s decision. And like I said, I could play better. And on to the next one,” he said.
The Pistons are listing Cade Cunningham as out for Tuesday’s game against the Kings due to a left knee strain, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets. Cunningham didn’t play in the second half of their loss at Denver on Sunday night

Central Notes: Ball, Green, Pacers Lineup, Sasser

December 28th, 2023 at 9:35pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said guard Lonzo Ball was in town last week and he’s optimistic that his latest procedure to alleviate his pain worked, tweets NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson. Ball is still ruled out for the rest of the season but, according to Johnson, he’s progressing well and is expected to resume running by January.

“Everything they’ve done in terms of progressing him, he’s handled very well,” Donovan said, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “The pain he was experiencing that was causing the setback is eliminated in terms of what he’s doing now, but he hasn’t run.”

Ball hasn’t played in a game since Jan. 14, 2022 as he’s dealt with continuous injuries and setbacks. With his pain alleviated and physical activity soon to resume, his eventual return to the court looks more likely with this latest development.

In 35 games with the Bulls, Ball has averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists. He was acquired by Chicago in the summer of 2021 in a sign-and-trade with the Pelicans. He has a player option next year for roughly $21.4MM and Cowley mentions it’s possible he returns to play sometime in the offseason or training camp, but that’s more speculation than anything.

We have more from the Central Division:

It took some time for Bucks sharpshooter A.J. Green to find his footing in the NBA, but he finished the 2022/23 season strong and earned a guaranteed contract ahead of this year, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Jim Owczarski writes. While Green hasn’t yet earned a permanent keep in the rotation, the Bucks can count on him to come in and hit threes when needed. “Freakin’ A.J.,” Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “I feel like whenever he shoots the ball, the ball is going in.” Green is under contract for two seasons after this one, though both are non-guaranteed.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle made significant changes to the team’s starting lineup in their Tuesday game against the Bulls, moving Buddy Hield and Obi Toppin to the bench for Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith, respectively, IndyStar’s Dustin Dopirak observes. Andrew Nembhard also started in place of the injured Bruce Brown. The Pacers, who had previously lost six of their last seven, defeated the Rockets 123-117 with their new lineup.
After finishing his collegiate career tied fifth for wins in Houston’s program history, Marcus Sasser is having to adjust as the Pistons suffer through a 28-game losing streak, tied for the longest in NBA history, Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle writes. However, Sasser has been able to turn to his former college coach Kelvin Sampson for advice this year, according to Duarte. “I worry about him in his first year,” Sampson said. “But at the same time, you get paid for this, man. Suck it up, you’ll be all right.“

Central Notes: Lillard, Griffin, Morris, Thompson, Ball

October 6th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Point guard Damian Lillard is beginning to find his niche with the Bucks, writes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. While Lillard plans to do “a lot of listening” as he grows accustomed to a new environment, he says he’s already giving the younger players advice.

“I’ve just been coming in, introducing myself,” he said. “And I’m interacting with different guys so they can see, I’m not on ‘superstar time.’ And I think as I earn the respect of my teammates and everybody else, they respect what I say after that.

“But if something comes up that I’ve had (experience with), or something that I’ve, that I recognize is what’s in the best interest, I’m not afraid to be the person to say it. I’m not a guy that is going to hold back or second-guess what I have to say because I know that what I have to say comes from a good place at all time.”

New head coach Adrian Griffin is making an imprint as well, according to Goodwill, particularly on the defensive end.

“One of the messages to the team, if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready,” Griffin said. “We want to be physical now so when the playoffs come you don’t have to be you know, talk about this good physical that’s gonna be part of our DNA.”

Here’s more from the Central:

Pistons guard Monte Morris, who was acquired from Washington in the offseason, says he’s embracing the opportunity to become a vocal leader for a young Detroit team, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “That’s going to be a good challenge for me because it’s going to be one of the first times in my career where that’s going to be something they’re going to be looking for from me,” Morris said. “To be a voice. With my resume and the experience I have been able to have in my career so far – being me, playing the right way, bring energy, trying to be as consistent as possible every day. Have fun with it. But (being) vocal is going to be my biggest challenge. I’m ready for it.”
Head coach Monty Williams believes No. 5 overall pick Ausar Thompson has a chance to make an immediate impact for the Pistons, as Langlois tweets. “We think he’s going to be phenomenal and we think he’s going to be an integral part of our team,” Williams said. “And there’s a chance that could happen right away.”
Bulls guard Lonzo Ball hasn’t played since January 2021 and will miss the entire 2023/24 season following a third knee surgery. However, he’s optimistic that he’ll return to an NBA court in the future, he tells Jamal Collier of ESPN. “After the other surgeries, this one has definitely gone the best as far as (the) recovery process,” Ball said. “The last two rehab processes I had, I was getting better and then it just hit a standstill and it started going down. And I haven’t hit that yet.”

Bulls Notes: DeRozan, LaVine, Ball, Vucevic, Carter, Luxury Tax

October 2nd, 2023 at 5:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan is headed to unrestricted free agency next summer unless he signs an extension. He said he’ll let his agent, Aaron Goodwin, concentrate on that issue, according to ESPN News Services.

“I have an agent. He deals with it and I tell him to leave me the hell alone so I can focus on my five kids,” DeRozan said. “I’m not kidding you. I try not to focus on that and let him handle what he needs to handle.”

Executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas says he’s in active discussions with Goodwin regarding an extension for DeRozan, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.

DeRozan is hoping to stay with the Bulls and lift them to greater heights rather than pushing to join an established contender.

“For me, it’s all about understanding what we can do to win. How we can win,” he said. “Obviously, this is a place I want to be. You can take that out of the equation.”

We have more on the Bulls:

The Zach LaVine trade rumors never completely go away, but he feels he showed his loyalty to the organization last year when he signed a long-term contract, Bulls Talk tweets. “I committed to the Bulls when I signed here, and I’ll be committed to the Bulls until I leave,” he said. “That’s not my decision. I made my decision to be here.”
Lonzo Ball, who will miss the season after undergoing cartilage transplant surgery, said he’s “about halfway through the rehab process,” Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic tweets. Ball is aiming to return for the 2024/25 season.
Nikola Vucevic felt an obligation to return to the Bulls, noting they gave up a lot of assets to Orlando when they acquired him, Mayberry tweets. “Chicago traded for me. They brought me here. They gave up a lot for me,” he said. “And so I felt a responsibility to come back and help the team do better than we did. I don’t know what that will be in the end. But that’s just kind of how I felt.” He inked a three-year, $60MM contract extension prior to free agency.
The Bucks and Celtics have stolen the headlines in the East with blockbuster trades just before training camp. Jevon Carter, who played for Milwaukee last season, said he’s not concerned about what’s going on outside of Chicago, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes. “Thoughts on Milwaukee and Boston? I don’t really care. I’m a Chicago Bull,” he said. “I’m not really thinking about Boston or Milwaukee.”
Karnišovas said the team’s performance will impact whether or not ownership enters luxury tax territory, Johnson adds in the same story. “I think we’re at the point where we’re going to go into the luxury tax if we’re confirming this is the group. I think this is just giving more time for this group to figure it out. And I think once you have consistent success, you can go for it,” Karnišovas said.

Central Notes: Hield, Bucks, Lillard, Bulls, Ball

September 21st, 2023 at 5:38pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Pacers and representatives for shooting guard Buddy Hield are working together to find a potential trade for the eighth-year sharpshooter after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on an extension. Owed roughly $18.6MM on an expiring deal, Hield makes sense as a trade target for several teams across the league. Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype breaks down six trade destinations that could work.

Before coming up with hypothetical packages, Gozlan looked into what Indiana might look for in a trade. Gozlan writes that the typical framework for a deal of this nature is to bring in a player with an expiring contract and draft capital. However, Gozlan believes the Pacers should look for a player who can fit into the rotation right now rather than draft picks, given their postseason potential.

Gozlan names the Rockets, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Celtics, Nets and Sixers as the teams who would be the best fits for the former Oklahoma standout. The Rockets, who need shooting, could put together an offer using the salary of Kevin Porter Jr, given their recent attempts to trade him, alongside draft capital to entice the Pacers. However, if the Pacers are looking to add players, it’s unlikely they’d consider taking in Porter, even if it’s just for salary purposes, given his uncertain NBA future following his assault and strangulation charges.

The Mavericks, Grizzlies, Celtics and Nets are teams that would be able to provide win-now players for Indiana in a possible trade, Gozlan reasons. Tim Hardaway Jr, Luke Kennard, Malcolm Brogdon and Royce O’Neale are among the players named in the article who could appeal to the Pacers for help on the wing.

As for the Sixers, Gozlan writes that such a partnership could be contingent on a James Harden deal, specifically to the Clippers. If Philadelphia and Los Angeles struck a deal, Indiana could look to get in on the trade by sending Hield to the Sixers and bringing in Norman Powell from L.A, Gozlan says. For my money, Dallas, Boston and Brooklyn make the most sense of the named teams if Indiana wants a strong rotation piece in return.

We have more from the Central Division:

The Bucks are another team that could make some level of sense for Hield in a trade, The Athletic’s Eric Nehm writes in his latest mailbag. However, such a trade would be risky, based on a combination of factors. For starters, it would likely take multiple rotation players being shipped out, and a better player could become available later on, leaving the Bucks without a path to acquire said player. Additionally, Hield has not played in a playoff game since making his NBA debut in 2016, which isn’t ideal for a contending team, Nehm writes.
The potential of Hield coming to Milwaukee is just one of many topics Nehm writes about in his mailbag. Nehm also covers the assets the Bucks have available to trade, whether Giannis Antetokounmpo is better suited for point or post play this season, rotation questions, and more. I recommend reading the article in full here.
With reports surfacing that the Bulls are trying to get in on the Damian Lillard sweepstakes, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago considers what such a move would look like in practice. As reported on Wednesday, Chicago is exploring the possibility of moving Zach LaVine in a multi-team deal that could send a combination of players and picks to Portland. Johnson writes that a move for Lillard would likely come with a DeMar DeRozan extension, meaning the Bulls would have to be 100% certain about a core of Lillard, DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic winning together.
Johnson adds in his mailbag that while the Bulls could theoretically look at moving Lonzo Ball, whose career has been plagued with injury, he gets the sense that nothing happens on that front this season, with Ball working hard to return to the court.

Bulls Notes: Vucevic, Ball, Carter, Hometown Players

August 31st, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Lonzo Ball‘s status was a distraction for the Bulls for much of last season, Nikola Vucevic admits in an interview with Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. After being acquired during the 2021 offseason, Ball led Chicago to the top of the Eastern Conference in his first two months with the team, but he hasn’t played since because of a knee injury that has required three surgeries. Vucevic said the organization was counting on Ball’s return early last season, but complications kept pushing that back.

“It was kind of like, ‘Oh, when he comes back, it’s going to be fixed.’ Early on, it was, ‘Oh, six weeks,’ then, ‘Now it’s eight weeks,’ and then, ‘January’ and ‘Maybe playoffs.’ For us, it was tricky, because we kept waiting for him,” Vucevic recalled. “And now, at least we know he’s not there. We’ve got some new teammates, some good signings that will help us. And so now it’s on us as players to figure it out and find a way to have a better year.”

Ball and team officials have already stated that he won’t be available for the upcoming season after undergoing cartilage transplant surgery in March. Vucevic said he empathizes with his teammate as he tries to work his way back from the injury and handles the negative reaction from the public and the media.

“You feel for the guy. He’s such a good player. And to have to deal with all that, it’s very difficult,” Vucevic said. “I mean, he’s been very positive about it. He keeps trying to find ways to get back on the floor. There’s a lot of stuff people can’t see. You can’t see him do rehab. You can’t see all the stuff that he does to get back on the court.”

There’s more on the Bulls:

Vucevic is excited about Chicago’s roster additions, believing Torrey Craig and Jevon Carter will bring much-needed toughness on defense, Fischer adds. “Just guys that like to do the dirty work that doesn’t necessarily show up in the stat sheet, but is very important to the team,” Vucevic said. “We need those things badly.”
Carter is the latest Chicago-area native to play for the Bulls, joining a list that includes Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Beverley, observes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Carter was a popular player at Bulls Fest, as fans were eager to interact with a player who grew up in the city. “When we can go out and get kids who can check a lot of boxes on the court, it’s definitely a bonus when they’re from Chicago,” general manager Marc Eversley said. “There’s just a certain pride that I think those kids wear on their chest. Anytime you can have a Chicago kid playing for the Chicago Bulls, (it) is a really, really special thing.”
Bucks writer Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel appeared on the latest edition of Bulls Talk to discuss Carter’s role with the team and the challenge that former Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin faces as the new head coach in Milwaukee.

Lonzo Ball: “I’m Going To Play Again”

August 27th, 2023 at 10:31am CST by Arthur Hill

Lonzo Ball made his strongest comments about his NBA future on Saturday, vowing that he’ll overcome his knee issues and eventually return to the league, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. The Bulls guard was at Invest Fest in Atlanta to promote Big Baller Brand, but he also addressed the injury that will cause him to miss another full season.

“Life is not easy,” Ball told the gathering. “If you want to get the most out of it, you gotta put your best foot forward. If you’re going to get knocked down, you gotta get back up every time if you want to keep going. You can always quit and take the easy way out and pout and go to the side. But for me, if you’re trying to get to a place where I want to get to, you just gotta get back up, dust off and keep going. I’m going to play again.”

Ball sat out all of last season because of the knee and hasn’t played since midway through 2021/22. He underwent cartilage transplant surgery in March, and he and the team have said that he won’t be available for at least another year.

Chicago received a $10.23MM disabled player exception for Ball, but Johnson points out that it will be difficult for the team to use it. The Bulls are already close to the $165.3MM tax threshold, with Carlik Jones and Terry Taylor both holding non-guaranteed contracts. The team can’t exceed its $172.3MM hard cap.

Ball will make $20.5MM this season, and he has a $21.4MM player option for 2024/25. That decision is due by late June, but it’s virtually certain that he’ll pick it up considering his physical condition.

Also at Invest Fest, Ball addressed his dispute this week with ESPN host Stephen A. Smith. After Ball said on Trae Young‘s podcast that he expects to play again, Smith claimed that Ball isn’t even able to get out of a chair.

“The outside noise doesn’t bother me,” Ball said. “The Stephen A. thing, he has a wide platform. And to me, I just don’t appreciate when people put out fake news like that, especially someone of his stature that can touch a lot of people. For me, I know what I gotta do to get back. And I’m just on a path doing what I gotta do every day, taking it step-by-step. I don’t look too far ahead. I know in my near future that I will be back on the court for sure.”

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