The Chicago Bulls enjoyed an excellent season in terms of getting back to becoming a playoff team during the 2021-22 season. Their offseason before the start of this season was a masterstroke, they brought in the likes of Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, and Alex Caruso, all of whom helped significantly in carrying the Bulls to the 5th seed and could potentially have allowed them to finish higher if injuries hadn’t gone in the way.
Ideally, the Bulls would be able to carry that momentum forward into next season, however, Zach LaVine’s pending free agency means there’s a huge question mark over the franchise’s head this offseason. LaVine signing again with the Bulls doesn’t seem as certain as it once did, so the Bulls cannot afford any more setbacks to the team this season.
A knee injury to Ball cost the Bulls a few wins during this season and the news may be going from bad to worse for the organization as updates on his injury come through. According to The Athletic, Ball’s recovery isn’t exactly going to plan, and the player may not even be ready to play for the opening weekend of next season:
“Next to LaVine’s contract, Ball’s health has to be the Bulls’ chief offseason concern.”
“It’s been four-and-a-half months since Ball was sidelined with a left knee injury that eventually turned into meniscus surgery. He’s still not right. Whether he will be in time for the season opener becomes more of a concern by the week. If Ball must undergo a second surgery, the time crunch intensifies. There’s been no indication from Ball’s camp that a second procedure is in the plan, but it can’t be ruled out if Ball’s knee remains unresponsive.”
Lonzo has turned himself into an excellent defensive guard and a very good three-point shooter to go along with his playmaking abilities, and his health is crucial for the Bulls if they wish to make an impact next season. If Ball cannot start next season 100% that may also be an influencing factor on LaVine’s decision, and it remains to be seen how Chicago deals with these issues during the summer.
