Ball said Thursday that he won't require surgery on his sprained right wrist and expects to have a normal offseason, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network reports.
Though Ball had missed the entire 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons while recovering from three surgeries on his left knee, he noted that his knee held up "better than expected" in his return to the court in 2024-25. Instead, it was the right wrist that he first sprained in an Oct. 28 game that was the primary culprit in limiting him to just 35 appearances on the season. He missed 15 straight games after initially suffering the injury, then missed the final 22 games of the regular season plus Wednesday's 109-90 loss to the Heat in the Play-In Tournament due to a recurrence of the injury. While Ball was able to make an impact on the defensive end and as a passer with averages of 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks in 22.2 minutes per game, the sprained wrist may at least partially explain his shooting struggles. Ball turned in a 50.4 effective field goal percentage, his lowest rate since 2018-19 (48.8 percent).
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Misses final 23 games of 2024-25
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) didn't play in Chicago's last 23 games of the season, including Wednesday's 109-90 Play-In Game loss to the Heat. He finished the regular season with averages of 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.9 three-pointers and 1.3 steals in 22.2 minutes per game over 35 appearances while shooting 36.6 percent from the field.
After he hadn't played since January 2022 after requiring three surgeries on his left knee, Ball received full medical clearance to return to the court ahead of the 2024-25 season. While Ball didn't incur any setbacks with his knee over the course of the season, he was still limited to 35 games due to a sprained right wrist, an illness and general injury management. The wrist issue in particular proved to be problematic for Ball, who first suffered the injury in late October and missed 15 straight games, then suffered a recurrence of the injury in early March that kept him off the floor for the final 22 games of the regular season as well as the play-in contest. Ball will presumably be fully recovered from the wrist sprain ahead of training camp and will return for his fifth season with the Bulls after signing a one-year, $10 million extension in February.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Ruled out for Play-In Game
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Heat.
Ball will miss a 23rd consecutive game due to a wrist sprain. The veteran guard still has a chance to return to the floor for Chicago, depending on how things pan out in the Play-In Tournament. Kevin Huerter will continue to shoulder the load in the backcourt along with Dalen Terry, Talen Horton-Tucker and Jevon Carter.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Likely out Wednesday
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) is officially doubtful for Wednesday's Play-In Game against the Heat.
Ball will likely miss a 23rd straight game due to a sprained right wrist. The veteran guard's season will end if he doesn't suit up, and Chicago cannot advance in the Play-In Tournament. The team should continue to lean on Kevin Huerter and Dalen Terry (calf) to shoulder the load in the backcourt.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Unlikely for Play-In Tournament
Rotowire
Head coach Billy Donovan said Sunday that Ball (wrist) will resume basketball activities Monday but is unlikely to be available for Wednesday's Play-In Tournament meeting with the Heat, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network reports.
Ball has not played since Feb. 28 due to a sprained right wrist, and Sunday's game marks the 22nd straight game he'll miss as a result. His return to basketball activities is a sign that he is progressing in his recovery, and while he doesn't appear to be available for the Play-In Tournament, the hope is that he can play in the first round of the playoffs if the Bulls advance that far.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Another absence coming
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) is out for Sunday's game versus the 76ers.
Ball's absence streak will extend to 22 games Sunday due to a sprained right wrist. Ball's next chance to suit up is Wednesday's Play-In Game against Miami.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Remains out for Friday
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Wizards.
Ball will miss a 21st straight game for the Bulls due to a right wrist sprain. The next opportunity for the veteran guard to return to the floor will be Sunday against the 76ers.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Won't play Wednesday
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) will not play Wednesday against the Heat.
Ball, who hasn't seen any NBA action since Feb. 28, has just two chances to return to the floor before the end of the regular season. However, there's no guarantee he'll get the green light for either of those.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Another absence coming
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) will not play Tuesday against the Cavaliers.
Ball hasn't seen any NBA action since Feb. 28, but recent reports have indicated that he's close to a return. It remains to be seen if he'll be available to play Wednesday against the Heat for the second leg of this back-to-back set.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Won't play Sunday
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Hornets.
Ball hasn't played since Feb. 28 but is nearing a return to game action. That won't happen Sunday, but the veteran guard will have another chance to suit up Tuesday in Cleveland. In his absence, Talen Horton-Tucker should stick in the rotation.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Iffy for Sunday
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game versus the Hornets.
Ball hasn't played since Feb. 28 due to a right wrist sprain. However, Ball has been participating in shootaround and appears to be nearing a return to action.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Won't suit up Friday
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Trail Blazers, Chuck Swirsky of the Bulls Radio Network reports.
Ball will miss his 17th straight outing due to a sprained right wrist. However, the 27-year-old was a full participant during Friday's practice, which suggests that he's nearing a return to game action. Ball's next chance to suit up will come Sunday against the Hornets.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Full participant in shootaround
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) participated fully in shootaround ahead of Friday's game versus the Trail Blazers and is trending toward making a return to action, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network reports.
Ball is officially listed as questionable for Friday's contest after missing Chicago's previous 16 outings due to a wrist injury. While Ball is trending toward a return to action against Portland, he will operate on a minutes restriction if he's officially upgraded to available.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Questionable for Friday
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) has been listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Trail Blazers.
Ball has missed the last 16 games for the Bulls while dealing with a sprained right wrist. The veteran guard has a chance to play in Friday's game against Portland, but if he cannot play, Chicago will likely continue to lean on Kevin Huerter to help shoulder the load in the backcourt behind Josh Giddey and Coby White.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Still out Tuesday
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Raptors.
Ball will miss his 16th consecutive contest due to a sprained right wrist. There's no clear timetable for the 27-year-old's return to game action, though his next chance to suit up will come Friday against Portland.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Doubtful for Tuesday
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) is doubtful for Tuesday's game against the Raptors.
Ball appears likely to be sidelined for his 16th game in a row. If Ball does sit out, his next chance to play will be Friday against Portland. Ball is reportedly in the final stages of his recovery from a right wrist sprain that has kept him sidelined for all of March, but he doesn't have a target return date.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Won't go Monday
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Thunder.
Ball's absence streak will extend to 15 games due to a sprained right wrist. His next chance to suit up will come Tuesday against the Raptors.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Not expected to play Monday
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) is listed as doubtful for Monday's game against Oklahoma City.
Ball is expected to miss his 15th consecutive contest due to a sprained right wrist. The 27-year-old was listed as questionable before being ruled out of Thursday's win over the Lakers, so the doubtful tag bodes poorly for his progress. If Ball remains on the shelf Monday, his next chance to play will come in Chicago against the Raptors on Tuesday.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Won't play Saturday
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) won't play Saturday against Dallas.
Ball has been out of action since Feb. 28 due to a right wrist sprain, and he'll miss his 15th game in a row Saturday. His next chance to play comes Monday against the Thunder.
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Bulls' Lonzo Ball: Unlikely to play Saturday
Rotowire
Ball (wrist) is listed as doubtful for Saturday's game against Dallas.
Ball has been out of action since Feb. 28 due to a right wrist sprain. He looks to be on track to miss a 14th consecutive game, and if he's ruled out for Saturday's contest, his next chance to take the floor is Monday against Oklahoma City.
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Player Bio
HT/WT: 6-6, 190 lbs
Birthplace: Anaheim, CA
Age: 27
School: UCLA
Experience: 5
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