Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball revealed the extent of his knee issues in Tuesday's Zoom press conference.

"I still can't play basketball," Ball said. "I can't run or jump."

The injury is also affecting his normal activities outside of basketball.

"It's every day," he added. "Even going up stairs and stuff, it's still painful."

The Bulls announced in September that Ball would undergo an arthroscopic debridement of his left knee and be reevaluated in four to six weeks, which all but ruled out his chances of playing in the Oct. 19 season opener against the Miami Heat.

Health concerns have become a reality for Ball since he joined the Bulls ahead of the 2021-22 season. He played just 35 games in his first campaign with the team thanks to a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery.

The 24-year-old was expected to return ahead of the playoffs, but Chicago announced it shut him down in April because he "continues to experience pain with high-level physical activity."

The continued health issues for the UCLA product have been particularly disappointing for the Bulls. They looked like a true contender last season when he was on the floor, but they fell to the No. 6 seed and lost in the first round when he was out.

Chicago can still turn toward Coby White, Alex Caruso, Goran Dragić and Ayo Dosunmu in the backcourt when Ball is out, but it is far better suited to compete in the Eastern Conference when he is on the floor hitting from deep and facilitating for others.

It seemed odd when veteran guard Goran Dragic chose the Chicago Bulls early in free agency. The Bulls already boasted depth at his position with Lonzo Ball and combo guards Alex Caruso, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu.

Now it makes more sense after the Bulls on Wednesday announced Ball will "undergo an arthroscopic debridement of his left knee" next week—with another four to six weeks until he's reevaluated. It's a disappointing blow for Ball after his January surgery for a bone bruise and meniscus tear in the same knee.

"I'm sad for him," one NBA executive said. "He's been hurt his entire career."

Ball, who turns 25 next month, has played more than 55 games just once in five seasons, peaking at 63 for the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019-20. That includes his first couple of years in the league with the L.A. Lakers, when Ball spent his offseasons recovering from injuries instead of reworking his famously odd shot mechanics.

It's a shame. When he's healthy, he is one of the unique players in the league, and perhaps the Bulls' best two-way player.

Ball's defensive rating of 107 points allowed per 100 possessions was second on the team among guards behind Caruso's 105.5. Comparatively, DeMar DeRozan was lower at 112, with Zach LaVine 113.4, White 113.6 and Dosunmu 114.1 even worse.

Prolific scorers like LaVine (112.5) and White (112.3) boasted higher offensive ratings, but both Caruso (110.5) and Ball (110.1) were right behind them.

Caruso and Ball give the Bulls their best chance at getting stops without draining the offense. Not many tandems can boast that kind of production, and the Bulls need that to be a force in the postseason.

"Lonzo doesn't need the ball, which is strange for a point guard," a former NBA executive said. "He just gets a team's offense hopping, and he's all over the place defensively."

The hope for Chicago is that Ball will recover from this next procedure for a November or December return. The fear would be the still-young guard never living up to his $80-84 million contract.

Without Ball, the team's defense takes a hit. The burden will fall on Caruso and second-year guard Dosunmu. The rest of the backcourt (LaVine, White and Dragic) aren't known to be top-flight defenders. DeRozan isn't the defender he used to be. Chicago needs a big defensive year from forward Patrick Williams, especially with Ball sidelined.

The challenge for the Bulls in trying to fix the issue is the uncertainty of Ball's recovery. A smooth return can't be assumed, given that his recovery from a January surgery earlier this year hasn't gone well. If he's not a significant part of the rotation this season, the franchise takes a sizable hit.

But if Ball is back to form by December, any trade in the meantime is probably unwarranted. Chicago shouldn't try to rush a trade through given it doesn't have much to offer.

The team still owes protected first-round picks to the Orlando Magic (Nikola Vucevic) and San Antonio Spurs (DeRozan). Those protections, along with the Stepien Rule, make it difficult for the team to send out another of its own firsts. Unless the Bulls make a subsequent deal with the Spurs to amend protections, the only first Chicago has to offer is from the Portland Trail Blazers (2023) for Lauri Markkanen in a three-way trade last summer with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

That Blazers first—lottery-protected through 2028—is the only significant trade asset the Bulls have to offer without pruning talent from the current roster.

Offseason buzz had Williams off-limits in trade, but Chicago was believed to have explored the market for White this summer. Now with Ball hurt, should the team part with another guard?

The Details

Naturally, outgoing trade collateral would depend on the return. White is in the last year of his contract at $7.4 million and is extension-eligible until the start of the season. There's little expectation around the league an extension for White is near. If he is dealt, the Bulls can bring back players earning up to $9.37 million. That grows to $11.9 million if he's packaged with center Tony Bradley.

But what would Chicago even target? Vucevic is in the last year of his contract and is projected to stay with the franchise long term. Maybe the Bulls target a starting power forward, but if the team expects Williams to grow into that role, a quick deal doesn't make a ton of sense.

Ball may return to full strength, and Williams may have a breakout season. The Bulls, who are right below the NBA's $150.3 million luxury-tax threshold, need to tread carefully. The franchise doesn't have the flexibility to make an emergency trade just because Ball might miss a couple of months.

Free agency isn't the answer because Chicago already did its due diligence in signing Dragic for added backcourt depth. The Bulls will get through the early days of the season without too much trouble.

The leg issues that have plagued Ball through most of his career shouldn't now be a surprise to the Bulls since they acquired him via sign-and-trade last summer from the Pelicans.

He has three years left on his deal, including a player option for 2024-25; Chicago needs him healthy later in the year and into the playoffs. It's not a crisis in September or October.

Given his talent, it would be a true shame if Ball doesn't fully recover. In the meantime, the Bulls are stuck waiting to see if their starting point guard can get back to full strength.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter, @EricPincus.

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball will undergo an arthroscopic debridement of his left knee that could keep him out for the start of the regular season, the team announced Wednesday.

He will be re-evaluated in four-to-six weeks. The Bulls open their regular season exactly four weeks from Wednesday on Oct. 19 against the Miami Heat.

Ball was already recovering from a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery in January, which ended his 2021-22 season after just 35 games.

The meniscus injury was supposed to keep him out for only a couple of months, but he suffered setbacks in his recovery before being shut down in April after he continued to "experience pain with high-level physical activity."

Even after an offseason of rehab, Ball was expected to miss training camp and was considered doubtful for the start of the 2022-23 season due to the injury, according to Jamal Collier and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

Injuries continue to be a major story for the 2017 No. 2 overall pick, who averaged just 50.4 games played in his first five seasons, only once topping 60 games in a single year.

The 24-year-old can fill up the stat sheet when on the floor, which he has proved during his time with the Bulls, Pelicans and Lakers. He averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game last year before suffering his injury.

Chicago fortunately has plenty of alternatives capable of running the point, including Coby White, Alex Caruso, Goran Dragic and Ayo Dosunmu.

Auction site Bonhams has estimated that a pair of tickets from Michael Jordan's debut game on Oct. 26, 1984 could sell for between $200,000 and $300,000.

Per Bonhams:

By far the most desirable and rarest of tickets, is the iconic red and black box office ticket which was only available at the venue and features the Chicago Bulls logo and silhouette of Chicago Stadium. It's these tickets that truly evoke the image of the young Bulls prospect on the verge of superstardom.

To find a pair of these red and black ticket stubs to this iconic game is exceptionally rare. A full red and black ticket from this game, believed to be the only unused example ever discovered, sold in February 2022 for $468,000.

It is believed to be the first time that a pair of the red and black box office tickets from Jordan's debut game has ever been sold.

One of the tickets has "Michael Jordan's first game" written in pen on the back and also includes a signature from former DePaul basketball star Dallas Comegys, who was sitting in front of the person who owned the tickets to the game.

Jordan scored 16 points and added seven assists, six rebounds, four blocks and two steals in Chicago's 109-93 win over the Washington Bullets.

Free-agent forward Kostas Antetokounmpo, the brother of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, is signing a training camp deal with the Chicago Bulls, per The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania.

Antetokounmpo, who played for Greece in EuroBasket this summer, will compete for a two-way spot with the franchise.

Antetokounmpo began his NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks in 2018-19. He appeared in just two games for the franchise, averaging 5.5 minutes per game, and spent the majority of the season with the G League's Texas Legends.

In 40 games with the Legends, he averaged 10.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 1.4 blocks while shooting 52.5 percent from the floor.

The 24-year-old spent the 2019-20 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, appearing in five games for the franchise and averaging four minutes per game. He remained with the Lakers in 2020-21 and appeared in 15 games, averaging 3.7 minutes per game.

Antetokounmpo spent the majority of his time with the Lakers organization playing in the G League for the South Bay Lakers.

During the 2019-20 campaign, he appeared in 38 games for South Bay, averaging 14.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.8 steals while shooting 61.8 percent from the floor.

Antetokounmpo spent the 2021-22 season with France's ASVEL Basket. In 26 games, he averaged 5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 71.8 percent from the floor.

If Antetokounmpo does earn a two-way spot with the Bulls, he'll likely spend the majority of his time with the G League's Windy City Bulls.

The Chicago Bulls aren't yet ready to cash in on Patrick Williams' trade value, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

Windhorst reported at the 27:24 mark on his Hoop Collective podcast that the Bulls "believe a lot in [Williams]" and view him as a possible two-way "core player" moving forward.

Concerns about the Bulls' ceiling have lingered since the start of last year. They certainly improved by adding DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball, but they may not have assembled a championship-caliber roster.

Now, Chicago could have to open the 2022-23 season without Ball.

The veteran point guard underwent surgery in January for a meniscus injury and missed the second half of 2021-22. What was supposed to be a recovery period of six to eight weeks has extended well beyond initial expectations. ESPN's Jamal Collier and Ramona Shelburne reported Sept. 2 that Ball is "doubtful" to be cleared in time for the team's opener due to "lingering pain and discomfort following meniscus surgery on his left knee."

The uncertainty surrounding Ball could raise the Bulls' level of desperation and force them into making an aggressive move, and Williams would be a prime candidate to go in that scenario.

The 6'7" forward has battled injuries as well but shown a lot of promise. He's a 41.3 percent three-point shooter through 88 games, and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James described him as having "Kawhi-type hands" on the other end of the floor.

Williams shouldn't be considered untouchable because who knows which star around the league will start to agitate for an exit from his current team. But Chicago's position on and belief in the 2020 first-round pick is understandable.

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is doubtful to return for the start of the regular season as he continues to recuperate from meniscus surgery on his left knee last January, per ESPN's Jamal Collier and Ramona Shelburne.

He is also expected to miss training camp prior to the beginning of the team's regular season, which starts Oct. 19 at the Miami Heat.

Collier and Shelburne provided more information regarding the injury.

"While a source reiterated Ball's knee is structurally sound after he underwent arthroscopic surgery on Jan. 28, he continued to experience pain while attempting basketball activities as he spent the summer rehabbing in Los Angeles.

"Ball will arrive in Chicago next week to undergo further evaluation by the team, but he is unlikely to participate when the Bulls begin training camp at the end of this month, sources said."

Injuries have been an issue for Ball throughout his career. The 2017 first-round pick has never played more than 63 games in a season and has missed 25 or more games in all but one of his five NBA seasons.

Ball suffered a torn meniscus in January that caused him to miss the remainder of the 2021-22 season. His unexpectedly slow recovery—the injury typically takes several weeks, rather than several months, to heal—led to questions about his status.

Now the Bulls look likely to enter the season without Ball, which is a big concern for Chicago. The Bulls were 22-13 with Ball but 24-23 without him in 2021-22.

Ball averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 35 games last season.

Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball reportedly may not be ready for the start of the 2022-23 NBA season.

Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic reported Thursday that Ball's recovery from knee surgery has been "slow" and it "remains in question" whether he'll be on the court when Chicago tips off the campaign Oct. 19 against the Miami Heat.

The 24-year-old has been sidelined since mid-January after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. He was expected to return within six-to-eight weeks, but he had a setback in April and did not return for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.

The Bulls have "serious concerns" with Ball's knee injury and the lack of progress made in his rehabilitation, ESPN-AM 1000 presenter David Kaplan reported in May (h/t NBC Sports).

The UCLA product enjoyed a solid first season in Chicago despite the knee ailment, averaging 13 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 35 games while shooting 42.3 percent from the floor and 42.3 percent from beyond the arc.

With Ball sidelined last season, Chicago relied on Alex Caruso and Coby White at point guard, while Ayo Dosunmu also helped do some of the heavy lifting in the backcourt.

That said, Ball will be looking to pick up where he left off and help the Bulls make a deeper playoff run once he's back on the floor.

In Andre Drummond's eyes, there has never been a better rebounder in NBA history than, well, Andre Drummond.

"I think I'm already there," the Chicago Bulls big man said, per Mike Anthony of CT Insider. "I'm on my way. By the time I retire, I'll go down as the best rebounder ever—if not already."

To his credit, Drummond is an excellent rebounder.

He led the league in rebounds per game in 2015-16 and then again three seasons in a row from 2017-18 through 2019-20. He has averaged 13.3 boards per game throughout his career during stops on the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.

Yet Drummond's 9.3 rebounds per game in 2021-22 was his lowest mark since he was a rookie in 2012-13. He also played just 19.7 minutes per game last season for the 76ers and Nets and figures to come off the bench for the Bulls during the upcoming campaign.

That might make it hard to climb the all-time leaderboards where he is 46th in total rebounds (9,519) and 10th in rebounds per game, but the 29-year-old is not lacking confidence.

Horace Grant's NBA championship rings from the Chicago Bulls' first three-peat in the 1990s are up for auction via Heritage Auctions, according to TMZ Sports.

The rings are from 1991, 1992 and 1993, when Grant played alongside the legendary Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. They are size 12s and have "14k Jostens" engraved on the interior of the bands.

The rings could rake in more than $100,000 each, per TMZ Sports. Each ring will also come with a letter of provenance from Grant.

In 58 playoff games from 1991-93, Grant averaged 11.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor.

Grant's Los Angeles Lakers championship ring from 2001, when he played alongside Kobe Bryant, is also up for auction and could garner more than $40,000.

The auctions close Aug. 27.