Bulls expecting Lonzo Ball to miss second consecutive season with knee injury

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The Chicago Bulls are expecting to be without point guard Lonzo Ball for the entire 2023-24 NBA season as the second-overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft attempts to recover from another surgery on his left knee. 

Ball underwent cartilage transplant surgery in March and missed the 2022-23 season.

Lonzo Ball #2 of the Chicago Bulls watches from the bench as teammates take on the Milwaukee Bucks at the United Center on April 5, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bucks defeated the Bulls 127-106.  (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

It was his third surgery on the knee that has not allowed him to play in a game since January 14, 2022. 

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"Everything is going well. Going into the offseason, I think our expectation is that he’s not coming back next season, and he’s going to continue on his recovery," executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said Thursday, per NBA.com. 

"If he comes back, it would be great, but we’re just going to treat this offseason and getting ready for the season that he’s not going to be back."

Ball first had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in February 2022 before missing the rest of the season. He underwent a second surgery in September 2022 and was ruled out for the rest of the season in February 2023. 

Lonzo Ball, #2 of the Chicago Bulls, is defended by Kyrie Irving, #11 of the Brooklyn Nets, during a game at United Center on January 12, 2022, in Chicago, Illinois.  (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

"My main focus has been on returning to the court and getting to a place where I can rejoin my teammates. This