The Chicago Bulls will play yet another season without the services of Lonzo Ball, who has been struggling with various knee injuries since January 2022.
Ball is not expected to return in the 2023-24 season, extending his absence from on-court action for two-and-a-half seasons. The Bulls have been granted a $10.2 million disabled player exception to account for the loss of Ball and the inability to use his $20.4 million salary.
“The NBA has granted the Bulls a $10.2 million Disabled Player Exception for the season-ending loss of Lonzo Ball, sources say.”
The NBA has granted the Bulls a $10.2 million Disabled Player Exception for the season-ending loss of Lonzo Ball, sources say. https://t.co/6pJ3Lc78vY
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 14, 2023
Ball was coming into his own as a 3-and-D point guard with fantastic playmaking with the Bulls, as the team was fighting for a top seed in the East before he went down. His absence has been basically crushing to the Bulls, which weren’t very competitive after the injury and missed the playoffs in 2022-23.
Lonzo averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists that season due to a slow start, averaging 15.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in December 2021.
The Chicago Bulls Don’t Look Ready
The Chicago Bulls have made the interesting decision of standing pat this summer, running it back with their ‘big three’ of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic.
Vucevic re-upped to a new three-year, $60 million contract, so he will be a part of the long-term fabric of this roster. LaVine is under contract for four more years, while DDR can enter the free agent market at the end of the season. They can continue running it back, but they just don’t look equipped to compete in the East. However, LaVine is expected to be traded sooner rather than later, while DeRozan can walk for nothing to a competitive setup in the summer.
Rebuilding again will be devastating for the franchise, as their 2022 playoff appearance came after nearly half a decade of rebuilding around LaVine. To pull the plug after barely any success will be disappointing, but it may be the best solution for the Bulls instead of being stuck in mid-table purgatory.
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