Lonzo Ball

After missing the previous two years due to ongoing knee injuries, Ball appears to be on the cusp of returning to the NBA. Having last played in January of 2022, Ball will attempt to get back on the court after missing almost three years of basketball. While this is great news for Ball, the Bulls are likely to take extra caution when allocating his minutes. There is almost no way he plays both halves of back-to-back sets, and his playing time could be in the low teens for the majority of the season. Before his injury, Ball was playing some of the best basketball of his career, providing Chicago with an elite on-ball defensive option while operating as the primary floor general. However, a lot has changed since he last played, with the Bulls now on a different trajectory. They acquired Josh Giddey during the offseason, while both Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu have developed to the point where they require meaningful minutes on a nightly basis. Taking into consideration the severity of the injury, there is almost no way Ball warrants any attention outside of very deep leagues.