The Bulls confirmed Wednesday that Ball (knee) has started playing in full-contact five-on-five scrimmages and hasn't faced any setbacks, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. This is a massive hurdle for Ball to clear. The 2017 No. 2 overall pick hasn't played in an NBA game since Jan. 14, 2022, and has undergone three surgeries on his left knee during that stretch, including an experimental cartilage transplant for a new meniscus. Cowley notes that no professional athlete has ever returned to high-level competition after having that surgery. Ball picked up his $21.4 million player option for 2024-25, so the Bulls would certainly be incentivized to play him if he's healthy. However, it's unclear how he'll fit into Chicago's plans after trading for Josh Giddey this offseason.
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The Bulls confirmed Wednesday that Ball (knee) has started playing in full-contact five-on-five scrimmages and hasn't faced any setbacks, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. This is a massive hurdle for Ball to clear. The 2017 No. 2 overall pick hasn't played in an NBA game since Jan. 14, 2022, and has undergone three surgeries on his left knee during that stretch, including an experimental cartilage transplant for a new meniscus. Cowley notes that no professional athlete has ever returned to high-level competition after having that surgery. Ball picked up his $21.4 million player option for 2024-25, so the Bulls would certainly be incentivized to play him if he's healthy. However, it's unclear how he'll fit into Chicago's plans after trading for Josh Giddey this offseason.
Ball (knee) has been cleared to do "pretty much everything on the floor" and is on track to participate in 5-on-5 drills in August, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune reports. Vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas provided an update on Ball's status after the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft and was optimistic Ball could be ready in time for training camp. Ball hasn't played since January of 2022 due to left knee issues that have required three surgeries, but he's been taking part in basketball activities and could be healthy enough to play in the 2024-25 season. The 26-year-old picked up his $21.4 million player option for the upcoming season.
Ball (knee) has picked up the $21.4 million player option in his contract for the 2024-25 season, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports. Ball continues to work toward a potential comeback before he hits the open market next summer, as he signed an original four-year, $80 million free agent deal in 2021, so it was a no-brainer for him to pick up this option. Ball hasn't logged minutes at the NBA level since Jan. 2022, but both the player and the organization are hopeful he'll be able to step on the hardwood at some point during the 2024-25 campaign.
There is optimism that Ball (knee) will be able to play next season, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports. Ball hasn't logged any NBA minutes since Jan. 2022 due to a string of knee injuries. While the 26-year-old guard has yet to play 5-on-5 or participate in any contract drills, there is still optimism that he will return to action in 2024-25. Ball has a $21.4 million player option for next season.
Ball (knee) has begun cutting, sprinting and jumping in controlled, non-contact situations, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports. The Bulls have exercised extreme caution with Ball's prolonged recovery from his third knee procedure since January 2021. Although he is just running in a controlled setting, this seems to be a big step for the point guard in his recovery process. While there is still presumably a long way to go, the UCLA product is hoping to return to game action at some point during the 2024-25 season.