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Ball underwent surgery on his left knee twice
last year and last played Jan. 14, 2022, logging 24 minutes
against the Golden State Warriors. There was a spark of optimism
in January when Ball said he'd begun running on a treadmill and
was able to dunk again.
But that was immediately tempered by Bulls coach Billy Donovan,
who said last month Ball was "nowhere near" a potential return
to the court because of ongoing knee problems.
Stadium reported Ball hasn't been able to run at full speed or
conduct basketball-specific training in successive days.
"He's just not," Donovan said. "Because he's not running on a
consistent basis. When he can get to that place where he can do
that consistently and be able to come back the next day and do
it again, do it again and do it again -- I think you'll feel a
little bit more optimistic."
The 25-year-old Ball was the No. 2 overall pick in 2017 and has
played 252 career games, including 35 with the Bulls. Chicago
acquired Ball from the New Orleans Pelicans in a sign-and-trade
deal before the 2021-22 season.
Ball signed a four-year, $80 million deal that runs through the
2024-25 season.
Donovan cautioned in January that the Bulls don't expect any
player to be able to jump back on the court after being out for
more than a year without a significant adjustment period.
"There's certainly going to be a period of time before they ever
allow him back to play that they feel comfortable that he can
endure what an NBA schedule looks like," Donovan said.
--Field Level Media
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