Pay Ball, but how about play Ball?
Guard exercises $21.4M player option for 2024-25
Questions about Lonzo Ball’s availability to play next season remain.
But where he’ll attempt to play was made quite clear Saturday.
As expected, a source confirmed that the 26-year-old point guard exercised his $21.4 million player option with the Bulls. He’s attempting to come back from three surgeries on his left knee since 2022 by the time fall camp opens.
Is that wishful thinking or a realistic goal for Ball?
The Bulls obviously are hoping for the latter.
As of three weeks ago, Ball was continuing to make progress in his rehabilitation and was sprinting and cutting with no setbacks. The plan was to continue on that path with the hope of getting him back in full scrimmages by late July or early August and give him enough of a runway to get a full test of the knee by the time camp starts.
“Well, we’re just going to wait and see his progression the next couple of months,” Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas said recently. “He’s progressing well, so we’ll see where he’s at in a couple of months.”
If he’s not able to go, the Bulls could seek another medical exemption or waive Ball and stretch his deal out for some cap relief. If he can go, it will be interesting to see how coach Billy Donovan would use Ball and what kind of minutes restriction would be implemented.
The Bulls were pleased with the growth of Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu this past season, and if they can’t move Zach LaVine, Ball could crowd up that guard room.
“Lonzo is such a smart player, and his game is a lot of times predicated on throwing the ball up, generating closeouts, helping guys play fast, getting guys the ball in space, and I think all three of them help each other,” Donovan said recently of a trio of White, Dosunmu and Ball on the court at the same time. “When I was in Oklahoma City, we had Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], Chris Paul and Dennis Schroder, and I played those guys a lot together because of the IQ and the unselfishness, the way they were willing to play.”