CHICAGO – The chances of the Bulls having their starting point guard back in time for the start of the 2023-2024 season could be in jeopardy based on a report on Thursday.

Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, there is a possibility that Lonzo Ball will need a third surgery on his troublesome left knee that has kept him off the court for over a year. This would require another six months of rehabilitation, which could sideline him for the opening parts of training camp and next season.

No final decision has been made, per Wojnarowski.

This could be another difficult moment in a Bulls’ career that began with great promise for the guard whom the team acquired through a sign-and-trade in the summer of 2021. In 35 games that first season, he was averaging 13 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per contest as the Bulls got off to a quick start.

On January 14, 2022, Ball had 15 points, three assists, and two rebounds in 23 minutes against the Warriors at the United Center, and that’s when his left knee trouble flared up. He’d have arthroscopic knee surgery later that month and would miss the rest of the year.

When the pain wouldn’t go away, he had a second procedure done in September in hopes that he could make his return at the start of the 2023 calendar year. But the pain persisted and hindered attempts at a comeback and Ball was shut down for the season after the All-Star break.